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Internet News : Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen |
| posted by tomazkid on 5-Oct-2007 13:39:56 (13343 reads) |
Amigaweb.net has finally received the answers to the Q&A with Bill McEwen.
Source: Amigaweb.net.
1) Do you think Adam from ACK Software Controls, as a single person, is capable enough to create reliable OS4 compatible hardware?
We are very confident in his abilities, and we are very pleased with the progress that has been made so far. Adam is creating the reference products that will be manufactured by another company and they will be the ones that make the hardware.
2) Do you have any contact with ACube or Troika regarding new hardware?
We do not.
3) Is there any hope of OS4 capable hardware released in 2007?
That is the plan, and hope.
4) Is there any hope for and OS4 licence for Elbox?
Unfortunately, because of legal proceedings, I cannot comment on matters related to OS 4.
5) Why don't you license/start selling Acube's Mac port of OS4 (project Moana)?
Same answer as the answer for number 4.
6) Why is not OS4 for Sam worked out yet? Regardless of the trial I guess both Hyperion and Amiga Inc. wants Amiga OS4 to be sold for that platform, or? So why wait?
Same answer as the answer for number 4.
7) What kind of hardware will OS5 be designed for?
OS5 scales to its host hardware, so anything from mobile phones through stbs, consoles up to servers. Initially covering software hosts Windows-D, Windows Mobile, Linux-D, Linux-E and Symbian for x86 and ARM, and possibly any high profile hardware host.
8) Why couldn't you licence Individual Computers Amiga 500 clone Projetc A? ( It seems like a product that could generate a lot of revenue. Just look at the success of the C64 DTV)
I am not familiar with this company or project. I would need to speak with someone there; my e-mail is bill@amiga.com
Software:
9) Are there any plans for further development of Amiga OS4 if you're able to obtain the source codes?
Amiga intends to continue development of Amiga OS4 once legal matters have been resolved.
10) Is Amiga OS4 for mobile, set top boxes or other devices planned?
Please see the answer to question 4.
11) Is Amiga OS4 for x86 planned or of interest?
Please see the answer to question 4.
12) Amiga OS4 is working pretty well in it's current state, and the main problem at the moment is a severe lack of serious developers to create modern software. For instance web browsers, email clients, ftp clients, office software, video editing, sound editing, games, and so on. Do Amiga Inc. have any plans to support development groups or hire people to get these things fixed/done?
Please see the answers to questions 4 and 9.
13) If Amiga Inc. is unable to secure OS4 from Hyperion, will the new Amiga OS5 be totally different from OS4, and will it be able to run OS3.x and OS4.x applications?
OS 5 details will be more public in the 4th quarter this year. Then you will have your answers to this question.
14) What efforts will Amiga put in place to ENSURE that any transition of ownership will not hinder development and testing of OS4?
Not quite sure that I understand the question.
15) If you do secure OS4 sources, will you include parts of OS4 in OS5?
We want to continue working with the OS 4 team and share with them where we are in progress with 5, and then we can better determine the answer to this question.
16) You've claimed earlier that OS5 will be better than Mac OS X. Can you tell us in what way?
Details for OS 5 will be made public in the 4th quarter of 2007, and then you will have a much clearer understanding and I will let you decide if what I know to be true is accurate.
17) Could you give us some information, tell us about some of the features, and what the current status of OS5 is?
OS 5 is ahead of schedule, and we will be making public announcements concerning the product in the 4th quarter of this year.
18) Where is the OS5 development team located, and how many people are working on the project?
The current team members are in California, Washington, Michigan, England, New Zealand, Germany and Canada. More members are being added and the team will double before the end of this year as we are moving into other areas of development.
19) Will OS5 be a completly independent OS, or will it be hosted on some other platform?
Details will be given out to the public later this year.
20) When will there be a SDK for Amiga OS5?
Those details will be forthcoming.
21) How many people work at Amiga Development India, and is this company used at all for development of Amiga OS or Amiga related software development?
We currently have 63 employees in India and there are no members of the Amiga India team working on OS 5. They are working on other Amiga related products and initiatives. They also have their own products that were purchased by Amiga at the time of the acquisition and these are being sold in certain Asian markets.
22) What is the status of Amiga Anywhere and the situation with Tao?
Amiga Anywhere was in process of moving to our own solution, and this new solution is part of the new OS. The Tao situation simply moved up our timeline, as we expect to have the new Amiga Anywhere available in the next 30 days for public use and development.
Business:
23) What do you think will be gained by spending $10 million on the Kent Events Center?
This would have been an investment in technology. There are numerous new technologies that Amiga has developed or recently acquired, and the Event Center would have allowed us to deploy and test these technologies in a real world environment. Unfortunately, we were not able to reach a definitive agreement regarding the Kent Events Center.
24) Wouldn't it be better to spend the kent center money on end-user product development, or to resolve the issue with Hyperion, for instance by buying the whole company?
The Kent Events Center would have been an excellent investment for Amiga. However, we have moved on.
25) Discreet FX offered a while ago to buy Amiga Inc, is Amiga Inc for sale if the right price is offered?
We never received an offer to purchase Amiga. We received a questionnaire. Amiga is not for sale.
26) Can you tell us anything about your investors (Is their focus on OS4/OS5 or something else)?
Our investors are focused on our making money. From a technology standpoint they are focused on our core IP and building on our operating system work.
27) How do you respond to the questions regarding your integrity that have been raised in the local press such as the Seattle Times and the Kent Reporter?
My integrity is intact. Everything that we have said that we were going to accomplish we are indeed accomplishing. Almost every member of the Amiga team that was here from 2000 on is still with us. The rest of the team is here, and we are working together. I have also learned that the press can say anything they want to say, and print quotes with your name attached to them whether you said them or not.
28) In the era of the Mac mini, iPhone, $100 laptop, and Efika, what innovative products can Amiga Inc. bring to the information technology market?
Our plans and product strategy take all of the above question items and others into account. Until I am able to show it to you, I will just have to say that there is plenty of places for Amiga to succeed.
29) How will you get your products into mainstream computer stores?
Our products will be part of other larger company solutions. Amiga is the glue.
30) What is Pentti Kouri's business strategy with Amiga, Inc.? Was he the driving force behind the naming rights deal with the city of Kent?
Please see the answer to question 26. Other than that, I can’t speak for Dr. Kouri.
31) Do you have any contact with the current Commodore company?
NDA’s do not allow me to answer that question.
Lawsuit:
32) If Amiga/ITEC wins the lawsuit, how will you get access to parts of the sourcecode owned by the Friedens and external developers which are not included in the OS4-contract?
Amiga respects the valid intellectual property rights of developers. Otherwise, please see the answer to question 4.
33) Do you think the trial could be solved this year, or is this something that could drag out for years?
Please see the answer to question 4.
34) Is everything on hold until the trial is over?
Those projects that are Amiga OS 4 related are slowed down, but not on hold. We have moved the funds that were budgeted for OS 4 to OS 5 and two new products to accelerate their development.
35) Could you please elaborate how the expected returns from OS4 for a tiny niche market justify spending tens of thousands of dollars on a lawsuit?
Please see the answer to question 4.
36) How could you announce hardware availability in "Summer 2007" without having access to OS4-sources and with the knowledge that you start a complaint/lawsuit against Hyperion?
Please see the answer to question 4.
Other:
37) Is fleecy moss still actively involved with amiga inc?
Yes he is.
38) When can we expect any new announcements?
I would prefer not answering this question. It is not about announcements, it is about delivering products.
39) Will we see a return to Amiga being able to sponsor and attend Amiga shows in the UK & EU ?
We certainly hope so.
40) How do feel about making Amiga OS 1.0 to 3.1 Open Source?
Not going to happen.
Final notes – When we started our work as a team in 2000 we had many great plans and several OEM’s, deals and goals to lead Amiga and the community to a bright new future.
Unfortunately, things did not work out as planned. Products have been delayed and resources were devoted to areas that did not produce what we needed, or what the community had asked for.
We are working very hard on delivering and building the products that you have asked for, and that you need.
I have been reminded time and again about the “Amiga curse.” I certainly can say that there has been more than one time where I considered this to be real.
Today, we are an Amiga that is here to prove that not only is the curse not true, but that we are here to create and deliver products. That we are here to ship products, and while the Hyperion situation is a distraction it is certainly not everything that Amiga is. We are a tenacious group, and when others would have given up we stayed with it, and we are going to deliver.
Bill McEwen
Amiga, Inc.
bill@amiga.com
Tel: ****************
Fax: **************** |
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| Poster | Thread |  tomazkid
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 13:48:39
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Team Member
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Joined: 31-Jul-2003
Posts: 11694
From: Kristianstad, Sweden | | |
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| He has not heard of Jens and Individual computers 
_________________
Site admins are people too..pooff!
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| | TMTisFree
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 13:54:15
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Super Member
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Joined: 6-Nov-2003
Posts: 1487
From: Nice, so nice | | |
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| '1) I have nothing to say.'
'2-40) See 1)'
Final note: bye,
TMTisFree
_________________
The engineering approach to our non-problems: "build a better washer".
The scientific approach to our non-problems: "find a new energy source".
The environmentalist approach to our non-problems: "stop washing your shirts".
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| | ikir
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 13:58:06
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Elite Member
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Joined: 18-Dec-2002
Posts: 5647
From: Italy | | |
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| @TMTisFree
LOOOOOL
@news
I think it is good they comunicate but they can't show any proof of products or real interest in Amiga.
_________________
ikir
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| | stevieu
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 14:11:43
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Cult Member
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Joined: 23-Apr-2003
Posts: 647
From: England, UK | | |
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| Quote:
| My integrity is intact. Everything that we have said that we were going to accomplish we are indeed accomplishing. Almost every member of the Amiga team that was here from 2000 on is still with us. The rest of the team is here, and we are working together. I have also learned that the press can say anything they want to say, and print quotes with your name attached to them whether you said them or not. |
heehee! But he can say whatever he wants to say and expects people to believe it also...
Oh, why did I even bother reading all this crap? Damn.
Steve
_________________
A1200T - OS4.0,OS3.9: 603e PPC 200mhz,060 50mhz, 256mb ram, FastATA MK-III, BVision, 160gb,20gb HDDs
A1200 - OS3.1: Blizzard IV 030, 64mb ram, 400mb HDD
OS4.x - Flying the AMIGA flag
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| | TheDaddy
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 14:33:23
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Elite Member
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Joined: 30-Sep-2005
Posts: 4499
From: Quattro Stelle | | |
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| 10 Print "We are tired of this s**t!"
20 Print"Gives us an Amiga with OS4!"
30 Goto 10
_________________
www.loriano.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk
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| | pixie
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 14:35:23
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Elite Member
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Joined: 10-Mar-2003
Posts: 3357
From: Figueira da Foz - Portugal | | |
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| | Hans
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 14:41:12
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Elite Member
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Joined: 27-Dec-2003
Posts: 5098
From: New Zealand | | |
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| This OS5 and AA2 stuff makes no sense to me. How is it possible for OS5 to maybe be based on OS4, maybe not, depending on them getting the OS4 sources and OS4 development team on board. If that's the case, what is it right now? Is it hosted on Linux/Windows for now? Is the API even vaguely similar to the Amiga API?
Is the lawsuit just there to delay the release of Amiga OS4 so that it doesn't interfere with the release of OS5?
And how does AA2 fit in? Are AA2 and OS5 in fact the same thing? Are they really trying to develop, market and sell three incompatible systems that they plan to merge somewhere in the future? That doesn't sound like a good idea to me.
Ah well, we're in Q4 2007 now so we should be getting "more details shortly". Back to my OS4 projects...
Hans
EDIT: Maybe Amiga Inc actually has some OS4 machines available to develop stuff on. Then OS5 could be "based on OS4" in some way. The whole situation still looks silly. Last edited by Hans on 05-Oct-2007 at 02:47 PM.
Last edited by Hans on 05-Oct-2007 at 02:43 PM.
_________________
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| | TheDaddy
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 14:44:56
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Elite Member
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Joined: 30-Sep-2005
Posts: 4499
From: Quattro Stelle | | |
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| I know what's happening...
One day we'll wake up and find out that this Amiga Inc. was the biggest prank in human history!
_________________
www.loriano.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk
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| | kirka
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 14:53:01
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Member
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Joined: 14-Jun-2004
Posts: 94
From: Boston, MA | | |
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| The answer to question seven is interesting. Using software hosts initially, I take it that OS 5 will not be an operating system.
Maybe I am wrong and I have been making operating systems and not applications for the past twenty years.
Kirka |
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| | Hans
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 15:07:07
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Elite Member
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Joined: 27-Dec-2003
Posts: 5098
From: New Zealand | | |
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| @Kirka
These days, what people think is the OS, is really the GUI system & file-manager part that runs on top of the OS. Maybe they're focusing on that side of the system, instead of the lower-level, hardware-hitting stuff.
What I'm more interested in though, is this:
Quote:
18) Where is the OS5 development team located, and how many people are working on the project?
The current team members are in California, Washington, Michigan, England, New Zealand, Germany and Canada. More members are being added and the team will double before the end of this year as we are moving into other areas of development. |
New Zealand? Jahc, we haven't seen an update to wookiechat for a while; is there something you're not telling us? 
(just stirring things up a little)
Hans
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| | Wol
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 15:07:35
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Super Member
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Joined: 8-Mar-2003
Posts: 1004
From: UK.......Sol 3. | | |
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| Yawn !!!
Wol.
_________________
It is my conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder.~Albert Einstein
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| | Tomppeli
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 15:08:53
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Super Member
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Joined: 18-Jun-2004
Posts: 1652
From: Home land of Santa, sauna, sisu and salmiakki | | |
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| Is that McEwen in the first picture here in Commodore show !? And question number 31:
Quote:
31) Do you have any contact with the current Commodore company?
NDA's do not allow me to answer that question. |
So will we see Commodore Amiga once again some day !?
Hans: Quote:
| How is it possible for OS5 to maybe be based on OS4 |
Like kirka said: Quote:
| The answer to question seven is interesting. |
Quote:
7) What kind of hardware will OS5 be designed for?
OS5 scales to its host hardware, so anything from mobile phones through stbs, consoles up to servers. Initially covering software hosts Windows-D, Windows Mobile, Linux-D, Linux-E and Symbian for x86 and ARM, and possibly any high profile hardware host. |
Quote:
| we expect to have the new Amiga Anywhere available in the next 30 days for public use and development |
Quote:
| OS 5 details will be more public in the 4th quarter this year. |
_________________
Rock lobster bit me. My Workbench has always preferences. X1000 + AmigaOS4.1 FE
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| | Wiesel
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 15:23:32
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Member
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Joined: 24-Dec-2003
Posts: 42
From: in the cloud | | |
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| Funny, I think Bill Mc. Ewen is talking to lawyers too often. It looks like he is trying to push me towards making legal mistakes, such as quoting the eMails he has sent me with the proposed agreements. These eMails contain the "don't quote or get sued" passus, but hey you network-guys at Amiga Inc, check out these MSGIDs:
Date: Wed, 31 May 2006 14:53:05 -0700
Message-ID: 00b901c684fc$99805fb0$0202fea9@billsbox
Date: Wed, 7 Jun 2006 13:19:33 -0700
Message-ID: 004501c68a6f$b2d08210$0202fea9@billsbox
Date: Wed, 7 Jun 2006 13:30:07 -0700
Message-ID: 004a01c68a71$2b678560$0202fea9@billsbox
Date: Wed, 7 Jun 2006 13:34:57 -0700
Message-ID: 005201c68a71$d7d44c70$0202fea9@billsbox
Date: Wed, 9 Aug 2006 08:29:08 -0700
Message-ID: 005601c6bbc8$8f84dba0$5000a8c0@Billscompaq
Date: Wed, 9 Aug 2006 10:05:51 -0700
Message-ID: 00c601c6bbd6$121ffec0$5000a8c0@Billscompaq
Date: Mon, 14 Aug 2006 11:40:29 -0700
Message-ID: 002101c6bfd1$1e77b6f0$5000a8c0@Billscompaq
Date: Wed, 23 Aug 2006 12:28:53 -0700
Message-ID: 013e01c6c6ea$5f21dee0$5000a8c0@Billscompaq
Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2006 12:12:02 -0700
Message-ID: 00ca01c6f47b$a1e768d0$5000a8c0@Billscompaq
Date: Fri, 17 Nov 2006 10:43:42 -0800
Message-ID: 009301c70a78$52091a30$5000a8c0@Billscompaq
Date: Fri, 17 Nov 2006 11:53:40 -0800
Message-ID: 00de01c70a82$1552c280$5000a8c0@Billscompaq
Date: Mon, 11 Dec 2006 15:13:32 -0800
Message-ID: 008d01c71d79$ff1fc930$5000a8c0@Billscompaq
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 13:29:06 -0800
Message-ID: 001201c73e6c$596ffcd0$5000a8c0@Billscompaq
Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2007 09:51:36 -0800
Message-ID: 005601c74497$4a2fde30$5000a8c0@Billscompaq
Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2007 14:00:16 -0800
Message-ID: 01d601c74971$0f2edcd0$5000a8c0@Billscompaq>
...all eMails in the context of licensing the kickstart 1.3 binary file, the price for 250.000 units and finally getting me a proof of ownership of said binary file.
Face it guys, the "Amiga curse" is not about the Amiga. It's about the people who supposedly own the rights.
Jens Schönfeld |
| | Status: Offline |
| | fairlanefastback
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 15:33:36
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Team Member
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Joined: 22-Jun-2005
Posts: 4886
From: MA, USA | | |
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| Quote:
| I have also learned that the press can say anything they want to say, and print quotes with your name attached to them whether you said them or not. |
Interesting, he seems to be implying that the press was lying to us about what he said.
_________________
Pegasos2 G3 running AOS 4.1 and MorphOS 2.0
Amikit user, tinkering with Icaros VM (AROS)
EFIKA owner
Amiga 1200
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| | Hans
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 15:38:17
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Elite Member
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Joined: 27-Dec-2003
Posts: 5098
From: New Zealand | | |
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| @Wiesel
I thought as much. I knew that you had tried to negotiate with Amiga Inc. for a license, and it would be very strange if the CEO (particularly of a small company) didn't know about it. Rather disappointing. Mind you, your project was mislabelled in the question, and you're name wasn't mentioned, so I guess he still has a vague kind of excuse.
Hans
_________________
Join the Kea Campus - upgrade your skills; support my work; enjoy the Amiga corner.
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| | Rob
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 15:39:12
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Elite Member
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Joined: 20-Mar-2003
Posts: 6385
From: S.Wales | | |
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| Quote:
| Face it guys, the "Amiga curse" is not about the Amiga. It's about the people who supposedly own the rights |
Spot on! |
| | Status: Offline |
| | Tomas
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 15:43:38
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Elite Member
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Joined: 25-Jul-2003
Posts: 4286
From: Unknown | | |
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| Not very interesting when he refuses to answer 90% of the questions. Also OS5 sounds pretty much like amigade/amiga anywhere, which is of no interest to me. |
| | Status: Offline |
| | Rob
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 15:44:24
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Elite Member
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Joined: 20-Mar-2003
Posts: 6385
From: S.Wales | | |
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| @Hans
If Billy Boy can't figure out that Jens Scoenfeld and individual computers are essentially one and the same then;
a) He's completely clueless.
b) He's doesn't give a rats **** about what developments are going and who involved in the Amiga market.
c) It's time he was ejected from Amiga inc. |
| | Status: Offline |
| | Hans
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 15:46:56
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Elite Member
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Joined: 27-Dec-2003
Posts: 5098
From: New Zealand | | |
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| @Rob
I didn't say that it would be an acceptable excuse. I thought that it was rather pathetic.
Hans
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| | tomazkid
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 15:49:02
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Team Member
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Joined: 31-Jul-2003
Posts: 11694
From: Kristianstad, Sweden | | |
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| @Rob
or
d) he was forbidden to answer that by the lawyers.
_________________
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