AmigaOS 4.0 Status Report

Mike Bouma writes "Core AmigaOS 4.0 developer Hans-Jörg Frieden has written a status report with regard to the current state of AmigaOS. Various advances have been made since the Developer Pre-release version of AOS4 was completed. Meanwhile AmigaWorld.net has launched a new File Depot portal dedicated to providing and hosting Amiga OS4 files and related resources. A first impressions review and some first user screenshots of the pre-release CD are also available."

Comments

Why bother...

[samdu]

There is an Operating System out there that has tremendous hardware support, regular updates, runs on commodity hardware and has widespread support from users and third party software developers. So, I ask, why bother with Linux?

Every time there's a story about Amiga on Slashdot, at least 10% of the posts use the exact same arguments listed above to ask the exact same question about the Amiga. The better question would be why bother posting such an inane question about something in which you obviously have no interest?!?!?

But, so that perhaps, in the future, we can avoid all of the "Why bother?" spam, I'll answer it:

CHOICE!

Listen, I love Linux. I love the concept behind the Open Source movement and I love the OS itself most of the time. But I'm a geek. I can dig around in the internals of the system and make it do what I want it to do (again, most of the time). MOST people don't want to have to do that. And until Linux becomes something that the geeks see as a toy, there is a signficant portion of the population that will not use it. Most people want a machine that boots quickly into an operating system that they don't have to muck about in to get it to do what they want it to do. Is it SO hard to imagine that the Amiga might fill a niche that Linux doesn't and may not ever?

So, those folks should use Windows... NO THEY SHOULDN'T. If they want to, fine, but why limit their choice because you don't think there NEEDS to be any more choice than Windows/Mac/Linux?

I grew up first on the Commodore 64 then moved to an Amiga 500, then to an Amiga 4000. When the 4000 died, I was heartbroken, but have managed to soldier on with a couple of home built x86 machines and Windows and Linux. Linux will stay on my server. Probably always, unless something better comes along. I'll probably always have a Windows desktop or laptop of some kind. I want a Mac - either G5 or iBook, haven't decided. AND I want an AmigaOne. In the end, I'll probably end up using the Mac and the Amiga more often than either other machine in a user to computer, face to monitor sort of way. Linux will continue to do what it does best, keep running my server and not crash. Windows will be reserved for games, the Mac will be my music and art (read: Photoshop) machine, and the Amiga will end up being the machine I use for everyday computing and having fun while doing it.

So, to all the insensitive, short-sighted clods out there that keep posing this question, I say to you shut your pie hole, there are many more people out there that would say the same thing about Linux. It's all about the choice, baby. And more choice is good for you - and Linux - whether you realize it or not.

PS - And, no, a Gnome/KDE desktop that looks and/or feels like AmigaOS, is not the same thing as AmigaOS anymore than a Windows XP theme that looks like Gnome/KDE is the same as running Linux.

Re:Why?

[squiggleslash]

The Linux kernel would be entirely inappropriate given its "model" of everything from device drivers to the file system is completely at odds with that of AmigaOS.

Sure, you could clone the GUI. But what would be the point? It wouldn't work like AmigaOS underneath, it'd never feel like Amiga did.

Re:Supporting alternative platforms

[LWATCDR]

What the hell are you talking about????
Write your senator or congressman about what?
What OS you people choose to use?
Free is about freedom of choice. I do not want congress telling me that I should use Linux anymore than I want them to tell me that I should use Windows! If you want to vote about this vote with your wallet!
Buy yes I said BUY as in pay for software that runs on Linux. Buy a Mac and run OS/X or BSD. Write apps for Linux, BSD, AMIGA, Mac or for all I care the Commodore 64. But for Pete's sake keep the goverment out of it. They will only scew it up.