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QNX partnering w/Phase 5 to make PowerPC computer
Emission writes "Canada based QSSL, which formerly were supposed to deliver the kernel for the next generation Amigas, with their QNX Neutrino kernel, today announced that they will instead partner with Phase 5 in order to port the Neutrino OS to Amigas equipped with Phase 5's PowerPC based PowerUP cards. Phase 5 has also announced a new quad CPU computer, the AmiRage K2, which will run Neutrino as its native OS. See the partnering announcement for details.
This is apparently targetted at the many Amigans who are less than satisfied with Amiga Inc's decision to base the Amiga OE on the Linux kernel. " Erg-I can barely keep up with the changes that's going on. My head hurts.
Phase5 isn't exactly known for shipping products on time, or shipping them at all in some cases. (Pre/Box and A/box come to mind). However, to their credit, they have shipped accelerators for the amiga and have some of the better ones around. They also have created some of the best videocards you can get for the amiga. (too bad everything is at a pretty steep price, but what do you expect with low quantities?) When you think about it, what has Amiga Inc. Actually *done* for the amiga community lately? Alot of promises, and perhaps an update to the OS, but beyond that they've mostly just spun PR around. I think Phase5 deserves a bit more credit than what has been shown on here. They've tried and failed just like amiga has, but who knows, maybe they'll actually be able to use what they learned from the A/box and Pre/box mistakes and do it right this time. I am somewhat skeptical that either will actually come out with a product, or atleast, that it will live up to the hype, but maybe they will prove me wrong. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. It should be interesting!
The "nerd" community and the "open/free" community are not one and the same. There's a lot of overlap, sure, but being a nerd doesn't automatically mean that you're not interested in what tech businesses are doing.
As a long-time Amiga nerd, I'm enjoying Slashdot's coverage of the recent Amiga saga. If you don't like it, why not get a Slashdot account and filter all the stories you don't want to read? You'll get some very light days (like today which, as you say, is dominated by corporate news), but at least you won't have to put up with stories you've got no interest in.
I personally read Slashdot for the comments. I can get straight news anywhere. The opinions of other Slashdotters are what counts for me. Opinions are always interesting, no matter whether the story in question is a corporate or "free project" one.
yesterday there was a web page at QSSL with the list of drivers for NTO/Amiga, here's a link to read it as it has been removed from the site but was in my cache.
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http://www.beroute.tzo.com
"Science will win because it works." - Stephen Hawking
phase5 were the guys talking a couple of years ago about an Amiga-style computer called the A\Box, which never saw the light of day. They were also planning a multi-processor Amiga-compat called the pre\Box, which also never happened. With this track record, I'm a bit sceptical. It'd be nice if it did happen, though. phase5's hardware is (in my experience) very good.
Phase 5: Fighting Vaporware with Vaporware since 1995!
Phase 5: If we don't ship it, you didn't want it.
Phase 5: One of three promises actually ships, it's six months late and 150% it's original budget, but when you finally get it, it's GOOOOOD...
Phase 5: If this don't work out, you can always try out Mac accelerators instead!
Phase 5: Cooperation, shmooperation - just don't piss us off, okay?
~ radiographite: art by john shepard
This may be slightly off-topic, but I think I can see all the company's logic. This makes my head hurt too - I was a staunch and loyal member of the Amiga community for a very long time. Most would be simply overjoyed to have a new Amiga come out - any Amiga. Now there will be TWO?
.]
Anyway, Phase 5 has been cut out of the loop for a very long time. They are still trying to work with the old Amiga architecture and update it (even with the A/box and pre/Box projects that fizzled). To their credit they have been very good and very didicated.
Amiga Inc has decided to start over (and as we read in CatB, you have to be prepared to "start over, at least once"). I sincerely hope that Amiga Inc's "magical mystery chip" is Transmeta's and that it turns out to be worth the secrecy and hype.
FWIW, I think Amiga Inc. is right and Phase 5 is wrong. Embracing the Linux kernel is the only chance Amiga really has of creating a place for itself. I've been thinking about this a lot since the Linux for Amiga announcement. This might be the perfect opportunity for LFTM. Phase 5 and QNX will be just another bit player, and will end up like the old Amiga - lost in the shuffle, with little hope of getting into the mainstream. [I know, I know - it saddens me too, but there comes a point you have to cut the cord and move on
Think about Amiga Inc's vision. A new Amiga - which has some (very specialized) name recognition, "running Linux" (you know that's how the press will talk about it), using the newest, greatest powerhouse CPU from the mysterious Transmeta. This will have Linux binary compatability (read: large application base), ONE desktop, ONE look and feel (with the option to add more later, but having ONE at first is a key point for LFTM), plug and play hardware (if they are lucky), ONE video system (already configured for X-windows and 3D), ONE sound system (really key, and still painful for Linux in general). This could be THE saving grace for Linux For The Masses - somewhere everyone can start. For 75%, that will be it. The rest will add and play a little at a time (read: progressive disclosure - another user interface point for LFTM). No sysadmin duties, no configuration worries, plug it in and run. Period. It could be "the Linux box any grandmother can use".
In my book the three killer apps for me under Linux would be Lightwave, Cool Edit Pro, and Eudora.
Lightwave is on a bunch of platforms, and seems to generate its own UI widgets, I wonder what would be involved in Newtek actually doing a Linux port? Eudora is probably pretty portable too.
E-mail campaign anyone?
Cool Edit Pro seems very tied to the Windows system, so there's not much chance there. Its a shame there's not anything comparable that actually works right now.
If you see BE's demo at a trade show, they will give you a $25 discount on the os. Now $45(price with disount) is a lot lower than most unix flavors when you order them with tech support and manuals. If you don't want those things than it doesn't really matter if the OS is free or not, you call intall a pirated copy if you don't need those services. I think that Becorp is trying to get people use their product, the are not trying to slay microsoft, just supplement them. I think that this attitude is reflected in the partitioning and multi boot software it comes with the OS.
But one more thing. BEOS runs on off the shelf PC hardware (mac to, but that looks like that is ending. QNX isn't likely to be able to combine an obscure os with un-mainstream hardware. They are going to need one hell of a killer app for that to happen.
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In the land of the blind the one eyed man is burnt at the stake.
--- In the land of the blind the one eyed man is burnt at the stake Can you see?