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Events   Events : EFIKA PPC entry-platform at EBV TechTrends 2006
   posted by nickname on 4-Oct-2006 14:29:46 (9081 reads)
This autumn a wealth of PPC product announcements and prototypes have been brought forward in the quest for an AmigaOS 4.0 hardware target. One of the more interesting candidates for an effective market expansion might be the production-ready EFIKA, pairing low cost hardware (PPC SoC at 18 USD) with a typical light-weight OS for an enjoyable user experience.

PPCNUX wanted to find out what is behind this simple board and visited hardware veteran bplan at a German embedded electronics symposium to dig out more details.
    

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samface 
Re: EFIKA PPC entry-platform at EBV TechTrends 2006
Posted on 4-Oct-2006 21:47:26
#1 ]
Super Member
Joined: 10-Apr-2003
Posts: 1161
From: Norrköping, Sweden

This sentence:

Quote:
This autumn a wealth of PPC product announcements and prototypes have been brought forward in the quest for an AmigaOS 4.0 hardware target.


...has absolutely to relevance to:

Quote:
One of the more interesting candidates for an effective market expansion might be the production-ready EFIKA, pairing low cost hardware (PPC SoC at 18 USD) with a typical light-weight OS for an enjoyable user experience.


Just pointing out that neither AmigaOS4, any AmigaOS4 licensed hardware nor what could possibly become an AmigaOS4 licensed hardware product in the future has anything to do with the the EFIKA board from Genesi. I'm sure it's a candidate for many things but NOT for an AmigaOS4 hardware license. It is far beyond just very unlikely that Amiga Inc. would ever sign any license agreements with Genesi again. Please don't debate it for the umpteenth time, just face the fact.

Why do I get the impression that there are still some people around who actually thinks otherwise? That was a rethorical question, no need to reply.


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_PAB_ 
Re: EFIKA PPC entry-platform at EBV TechTrends 2006
Posted on 4-Oct-2006 21:48:30
#2 ]
Regular Member
Joined: 20-Sep-2003
Posts: 189
From: Germany

...but this board isn't intended to run AmigaOS4 ? At least AFAIK.


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samface 
Re: EFIKA PPC entry-platform at EBV TechTrends 2006
Posted on 4-Oct-2006 21:53:50
#3 ]
Super Member
Joined: 10-Apr-2003
Posts: 1161
From: Norrköping, Sweden

Exactly.


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broadblues 
Re: EFIKA PPC entry-platform at EBV TechTrends 2006
Posted on 4-Oct-2006 22:08:54
#4 ]
Amiga Developer Team
Joined: 20-Jul-2004
Posts: 4446
From: Portsmouth England

Quote:

...but this board isn't intended to run AmigaOS4 ? At least AFAIK.


Nor is amiga (let alone os4) mentioned any where in the article linked to.


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ssolie 
Re: EFIKA PPC entry-platform at EBV TechTrends 2006
Posted on 4-Oct-2006 22:10:53
#5 ]
Elite Member
Joined: 10-Mar-2003
Posts: 2755
From: Alberta, Canada

If this is some kind of race to see who can talk the most about OS4 projects that have not shipped this bit is woefully behind. Where is the bit about you are in talks with Amiga Inc. regarding a license? How about the bit about being in contact with Hyperion regarding a port. Perhaps the video is supposed to make us feel better?

Sorry but no dancing banana for you until you spice this conjecture up a bit more. I don't give them out like candy.


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peroxidechicken 
Re: EFIKA PPC entry-platform at EBV TechTrends 2006
Posted on 4-Oct-2006 23:03:51
#6 ]
Regular Member
Joined: 2-Aug-2006
Posts: 178
From: Queensland, Australia

I really enjoyed the article - thanks PPCNUX.

So, er, what's the difference between an EFIKA and a Samantha board??

(Could it be that one of it's legs is both the same? ;)


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R-TEAM 
Re: EFIKA PPC entry-platform at EBV TechTrends 2006
Posted on 4-Oct-2006 23:17:06
#7 ]
Regular Member
Joined: 22-Jan-2004
Posts: 271
From: Germany

Hi,

EFIKA -> NO OS4 and only maybe MOS ...
Samantha -> OS4 and maybe MOS [but i think not]

And the important point [on THIS webside] is OS4.
Foreseen from the avaibility of the HW for end-user [the EFIKA board have a looong history, and even not availabel..]

R-TEAM


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Wizzard_o 
Re: EFIKA PPC entry-platform at EBV TechTrends 2006
Posted on 4-Oct-2006 23:20:19
#8 ]
Cult Member
Joined: 13-Sep-2004
Posts: 701
From: UK, Northern Hemisphere, Earth, Solar System, Alpha Quadrant, The Milky-Way, Universe. 1.1.1.3.44.HP

Errm, whats this got to do with Amiga or OS4????

wizz.


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ppc4me 
Re: EFIKA PPC entry-platform at EBV TechTrends 2006
Posted on 4-Oct-2006 23:31:43
#9 ]
Member
Joined: 10-Sep-2005
Posts: 82
From: Unknown

>Where is the bit about you are in talks with Amiga Inc. regarding a license?

There.

If EFIKA comes down to $99 it has the right price for an AmigaOS relaunch.
I think it is about time for some people to give up finding reasons why it cannot be Amiga...

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umisef 
Re: EFIKA PPC entry-platform at EBV TechTrends 2006
Posted on 5-Oct-2006 0:02:15
#10 ]
Super Member
Joined: 19-Jun-2005
Posts: 1714
From: Melbourne, Australia

Quote:
I think it is about time for some people to give up finding reasons why it cannot be Amiga...


I don't know about the US, but here in Oz, a company has to have at least one director; All directors together form "the board", and "the board" is what has the ultimate power to make decisions for the company.

The relevant point (yes, there is one): All directors are required by law to act in the best interest of the company; If a director can be shown to have knowingly acted against the best interests of the company, for whatever reason, then that director becomes personally(!) liable for any resulting damages.

If the setup is the same in the US, the AI directors might very well find themselves between a rock and a hard place ---- rejecting a licensing request from someone who meets all the criteria put forward may very well be acting against the best interest of the company....

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Legion 
Re: EFIKA PPC entry-platform at EBV TechTrends 2006
Posted on 5-Oct-2006 1:40:58
#11 ]
Cult Member
Joined: 21-Apr-2003
Posts: 820
From: Fargo, ND, USA


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gary_c 
Re: EFIKA PPC entry-platform at EBV TechTrends 2006
Posted on 5-Oct-2006 3:33:08
#12 ]
Cult Member
Joined: 1-Mar-2004
Posts: 874
From: Chiba, Japan

Quote:
Just pointing out that neither AmigaOS4, any AmigaOS4 licensed hardware nor what could possibly become an AmigaOS4 licensed hardware product in the future has anything to do with the the EFIKA board from Genesi.... Please don't debate it for the umpteenth time, just face the fact.


I'm just wondering when you not only became a spokesman for Amiga, Inc., Samface, but also became able to foretell the future! Congratulations on your new official status and foresight that enables you to speak so confidently of Amiga, Inc.'s future business decisions!

But I do agree with you that there's no point in anyone arguing about or even discussing Efika and AOS. As with any other possibility, if it happens, it happens. There's no way for any of us to really know what these companies really want to and can do, and certainly no way to influence any outcomes.

It isn't even clear whether MorphOS will be released for this board (reportedly it does run on it already).

-- gary_c


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Simon 
Re: EFIKA PPC entry-platform at EBV TechTrends 2006
Posted on 5-Oct-2006 5:20:07
#13 ]
Cult Member
Joined: 16-Feb-2005
Posts: 999
From: Antwerp / Belgium

Well it may not run AmigaOS but It's sure a nice piece of hardware .... especially the fact it can run in a 3.5Inch Bay I like. It would also be nice to build in a car with some entertaining soft on it.

I never looked in to the efika discussions here so I do not know much of it. But I would like to see OS4 (or maybe OS5 ) on it.


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JKD 
Re: EFIKA PPC entry-platform at EBV TechTrends 2006
Posted on 5-Oct-2006 6:07:41
#14 ]
Regular Member
Joined: 17-Aug-2003
Posts: 210
From: South of Heaven

@samface

Unfortunately I am compelled to reply, my avatar compels me and I have my marching orders from BBRV (not!)

What is the difference between this hardware (that does not have an OS4 license) versus all the other PPC hardware projects out there (that also do not have OS4 licenses....yet)?

This is not a rhetorical question and I do have some answers:

1. It's ready to manufacture
2. It's a proven solution from a great design team (bPlan)

Although I'd hate to speak on Hyperion's behalf, I'm sure they wish there was a hardware solution as good as this and licensed now...why wouldn't they want to sell their OS?

How far in the sand do you have to bury your head?

EDIT: I will still never understand why someone didn't start by licensing the PegII design and securing an OS4 license for it...in theory it had/has the potential for more profit than even Eyetech on their A1 licenseand available years ago....instead we have all these hacky, unproven pieces of hardware* that aren't even past prototype stage.

* I may exclude Samatha from this as it looks like a nice reference board

Last edited by JKD on 05-Oct-2006 at 06:13 AM.
Last edited by JKD on 05-Oct-2006 at 06:13 AM.
Last edited by JKD on 05-Oct-2006 at 06:09 AM.

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gary_c 
Re: EFIKA PPC entry-platform at EBV TechTrends 2006
Posted on 5-Oct-2006 6:32:48
#15 ]
Cult Member
Joined: 1-Mar-2004
Posts: 874
From: Chiba, Japan

@JKD

The problem is, you're being too logical about all of this. Things especially in this "market" are often done for "political" reasons, not logical ones. Yes, on paper, AmigaOS and Pegasos look like a great match. But in real life the people who have the power to decide have decided otherwise. The rest of us just have to live with that. If I was waiting for hardware to run AmigaOS4 for months/years and saw the Pegasos getting ports of Linux, OpenSolaris, *BSDs, etc., etc. all the while running like a Swiss watch, I'd be pretty miffed. Efika would just be an extension of that. Well, maybe "the Italians" will have something like the jewel the bPlan machines have been. Too bad that wheel-reinventing was necessary, though.

-- gary_c


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SlayeR__ 
Re: EFIKA PPC entry-platform at EBV TechTrends 2006
Posted on 5-Oct-2006 6:56:00
#16 ]
Cult Member
Joined: 24-Dec-2002
Posts: 634
From: Unknown

@JKD

It hasnt happened and problaly wont happen because of the bad blood between Ainc and BBRV.

Quote:
Although I'd hate to speak on Hyperion's behalf, I'm sure they wish there was a hardware solution as good as this and licensed now...why wouldn't they want to sell their OS?


No license no port.

Quote:
How far in the sand do you have to bury your head?


And insults wont change that.


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R-TEAM 
Re: EFIKA PPC entry-platform at EBV TechTrends 2006
Posted on 5-Oct-2006 6:57:16
#17 ]
Regular Member
Joined: 22-Jan-2004
Posts: 271
From: Germany

Hi,

@ gary_c :

he,he .. nice spoken ..
and Welcome to the Real World
[i know he is silly]

R-TEAM


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SlayeR__ 
Re: EFIKA PPC entry-platform at EBV TechTrends 2006
Posted on 5-Oct-2006 6:57:49
#18 ]
Cult Member
Joined: 24-Dec-2002
Posts: 634
From: Unknown

@Gary_c

Quote:
The problem is, you're being too logical about all of this.


Logic aint allways so logical when you look at all the factors involved.


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SlayeR__ 
Re: EFIKA PPC entry-platform at EBV TechTrends 2006
Posted on 5-Oct-2006 7:02:03
#19 ]
Cult Member
Joined: 24-Dec-2002
Posts: 634
From: Unknown

Quote:
So, er, what's the difference between an EFIKA and a Samantha board??


A license and a OS.


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Crumb 
Re: EFIKA PPC entry-platform at EBV TechTrends 2006
Posted on 5-Oct-2006 7:30:45
#20 ]
Elite Member
Joined: 12-Mar-2003
Posts: 2209
From: Zaragoza (Aragonian State)

@peroxidechicken

Efika will cost 99$ (ATM costs 250¤ but ODM license for 50000 Efikas will allow them to sell them for 99$)

Samantha will cost 390¤ excluding VAT and OS4.


BTW Amiga Inc has declared various times that Troika HAS NOT a license for OS4, so this item is as relevant as the Troika stuff to us (IMHO it's more interesting because at least it's working and Freescale already has ordered 400 units and any company could order several Efikas and bundle OS4 to them... it would still be way cheaper than "Samantha").

I mean... let's say a pair of amiga distributors join and get a license for Efika. They could sell it bundled with OS4 for 200¤ and still would get money.

On the other hand once you add OS4+VAT to "Samantha" it will be VERY expensive, costing around 500¤. For that price you can get a new Pegasos2 with a 7447 at 1Ghz, a cpu infinitely faster than an embedded 603.

I still don't get it... how can the loyal fanboy base think that 500¤ for a sub 666Mhz cpu without L2 cache is "cheap" or "entry computer".

I would buy a cache less embedded cpu for 99$, but paying 500¤ for a similar cpu is a joke

Ex-amigans who still feel a little nostalgic could invest 99$... for 99$ it's not a great investment, but 500¤ is too expensive for "a toy" or a "hobby OS" running in a cpu that runs more or less at the same speed computers were running 7 years ago.




A friend of mine told me that if you put a boing ball sticker to dog poo and sold it for 300¤ some people would buy it saying that it's the best thing since sliced bread and that ham and caviar sucks... reading some comments I'm starting to think that maybe he's right...

Last edited by Crumb on 05-Oct-2006 at 07:31 AM.


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