AMIGA aktuell international forum

5. Letter to the Editor about Future of Amiga (by Stefano Pucino)

»Hi, again I was readin through the web and your mag when an idea bolted
to my mind. Would it be an outlook to the AmigaNG future to come ??? ;-))

The rage to write overcame me and I could not stop it. ;)

At first a teenyweeny criticizm about Dr. Rick LeFaivre and Dr. Allan
Havemose.
Attention: I proceed directly to my own text ;-))

In the article in 08/99 I read the following line:

"DON'T JUST FOCUS ON BOXES AND OPERATING SYSTEMS!"

Well, I'd like to look at something else, but at WHAT? Since YEARS we
are waiting that so many promises are kept (Triple-A 'AAA' chip set, PPC
Amigas ...), which non of them where fulfilled. Now again they promise us
the surprise of a lifetime, but the PC industry is some more powerful
than the last time rival Atari.

Amiga Inc. MUST install something revolutionary. Something, that makes the
Amiga to what it was: "revolution-ary". ;)

By that time the step from 8 bit to 16 bit really was revolutionary.
Multitasking, 4096 colors and an 8 bit stereo digital sound were for 8 bit
enthusiasts (C64, Amstrad-CPC, Spectrum) a true challenge. Over years PC's
were only good for work and Amigas for fun. Today the stakes have changed:
PC transformed to the most expensive (P)layer (C)onsole in the market and
the Amiga can survive only with help of the 'community'. A few great
applications still exist. The 'market' consists actually just of very
able (shareware) programmers. The PC-market flourishes. Any software is
supplied on CD, even if it just a birthday greeting ..., a 400MB programm
on the harddisk cares for the last salute.

'We' amigans extemporize where ever possible and do by witchcraft beautiful
things without enforcing uncountable MBs.

But ... The Amiga has even MORE power. It is not just a motherboard with
a BIOS, but an entire philosophy. A computer, which is to simplify the
work with a computer.

Micro$oft gains speed. Out of a single task DOS environment really became
GUI surface ;-))
The problem herewith ... infinite unoptimized routines of uncountable
programmers, GUIs with obstinate functions and unlogical plays.

There seems to apply the rule: "Filch everything, improve nothing!"

The best example: The registry!

The Macintosh boasts a perfect registry. In "case of emergency" you just
delete the file and the OS builds up a new registy. Quick, clean and
efficient!
WARNING: DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME! The PC does NOT do this!
For this the programmers of the Wi(n)dows software take cars of. They
play around in the system in a way, that Windows has to be installed
anew every 6 month.
Frightening! The Joe Doe normal user does not simply use the computer
for his work, but has additionally to study Informatics to understand the
operating system and the registry. Gone away the days, when you had to
switch on the power to access everything.

Linux is a beautiful and stable alternative. But I, who startet to program
with an Atari 2600 with film keyboard and 1kB, gave up with Linux!

I must have been happy, that my PC recognized the Linux-CD at all. ;)

"Luke ... my son ... who rulez Linux, he has the force."

However Linux has something instead, what Windows never will have: Open
Source of the best! Not the smoked up programmer in the Micro$oft dungeon
checks its code, but millions of programmers optimize any single code
of the OS!

And my imaginations of the future?

At one day there will be a computer, which carries on the old philosophy
of Amiga. The simple usability, unbeaten multimedia power and the right
idea at the right time. But how to get it whithout stealing?

Long time ago Phase-5 promised us an AOX, a computer with true multimedia
power. Sorry, it never was manufactured. And again some time later a
planned but never made computer named Prebox followed. Maybe it would
have become the first multi processor Amiga. who knows ...

In the time before, in between or after a real computer appeared on the
Amiga market and was called "Draco". Good video system, but rarely to find
in a household. The C64 had had a better success. And now, shortly after
release of the Technology Letter of Amiga Inc., again a new computer is
planned. Hey, what are we up to!? Grow computers on trees nowadays ??? ;-)

The introduction of the custom chips like Paula and Denise opened a new
16 bit future. PC's of today have enough power, but since years the users
cry for new standards to make forget the annoying IRQ problems and slow
bus-IOs. Autoconfig was known to us a decade before Bill Gates presented
"his revolution" in Wi(n)dows 95 for the first time to the public. In
the field of PC the M$ operating system may be a little revolution, but
in the main range of computers it is just another failed attempt. Even
the completely new USB with its clear standard is in the most expensive
Windows worsely implemented than in the smallest iMac. The Computer-Club
in WDR (German TV-program), heavyly spoiled by Wintel, reported about
the failed USB experiment by M$ and the outstanding support on the
Apple sector.

Thus technical seen the PC ist todays "standard", but easyly to improve.
Here the Amiga could install a completely *new* standard. Why should the
user buy a AS_S PxB board, a Celeron/P-III, a TV board with TV I/O, an
extern DVD decoder board or an expensive MPEG2 CoDec board and have to
do all those installation routines, if he can have all this as STANDARD
and without any complication???

Will I be able in the future simply to power up the Amiga, choose the
TV program and save it directly in DVD format? One of the steps into the
direction "Computer application for everybody". This could be the first
step to the longly expected DVD recorder. In the Technology Paper is
written: "Realtime video compression including MPEG2".

An ATI graphics board with 32 MB would be sufficient for me for 150 years.
Until today I work with an AGA only computer. ;-)) But I hope, that the
programmers (of games) do not try the same as with the PC and only scratch
upon the graphics board instead of using it fully. According to "To slow?
Go and buy a new one!" :-( Already standard with PC.

However one or two little games should be possible on the Amiga. As a
big fan of the "Command & Conquer" series I am looking forward eagerly.
Because part no. 3 will certainly (!) not run on my old P90 (1MB PCI bus,
1.x graphics board without 3D!). 1P shooter like "Half-Life" might be
possible with help of the 3D engine. But console generations to come
(DreamCast, PSX2, Dolphin) will be much better suited for those games.

But will I have to buy a 2000+ processor to emulate foreign hardware as
the emulator addict, that I am? I'd like to enjoy the MAME games. Or (at
last) run my old Amstrad-CPC in real time in a window, WITHOUT to own
at least a P-II/300+.

Wouldn't it be possible to 'emulate' the architecture on the hardware basis?
A simple upload of the instructions into a buffer of the processor might be
perfect ;-) Might here be a beginning visible in the Transmeta-CPU??? A
kind of gigantic DSP unit?

The use of Java as language could help future Amiga programmers to set foot
upon other platforms (Linux ;).

The AmigaOE/AmigaObjects are very interesting features, too. Who doesn't
know the situation: You have an A4k on your writing-table, aside an A500,
one A3k in the basement and two A2k under the table. I'm thinking of my
sysop ;-)) Well, in theory we have several 680x0 processors collecting
dust in idle mode. An OS distributing its resources via network to the
several computers would be perfect, when major projects are approaching.
You might encrease your computing power just by integrating another
computer into the net. E.g. for presentation it would be a perfect
start.

The Java/Jini technologies promised by Amiga Inc. footing upon it could
finalize the driver pain for once and for all. If all devices internally
contain a standard driver and it would be downloaded via Jini to the
system, the most important problem will be solved, or what ? ;-)

Simply connect a digital camera to the Amiga and the driver imbeds itself
into the system. Click upon the icon and transfer pictures without ever
having seen the driver. Gone the nightmare asking manufacturers for
Amiga drivers.

The nasty weeping of the Amiga users for the discarded QNX is hardly
bearable. Okay, QNX offers huge possibilities, but Jim Collas ist right.
He, who wants to connect big developers to the system must submit to a
"standard". And let's be honest: would we rather prefer a Micro$oft
monopol position in the OS??? There you are, let's have good look at the
future. Will the Amiga together with the C64 and MAME disappear in an
UAE invironment on a Wintel machine? :-(((( Or will we move to an AmigaNG/
AmigaMCC and smile down to a Wintel user, who desperatly tries to install
Wi(n)dows, after the last database had shot down his config. ;-)

With Linux we have an open system at our disposal. We have a kernel
(! KERNEL, not an OS!) with proven stability. A truely gigantic spectrum
of developements and a new and growing market with lots of surprises.

QNX has no experiences in this field, but can as well join in. To convince
other companies (Corel, Adobe, ...) will certainly be more difficult.

E.g. the art designers best loved baby: Adobe PhotoShop. A real dream for
the owner of a Macintosh. But why does the deficient Wi..9x get a
conversion but no attention is paid to the AmigaOS, which is similar to
the MacOS??? Because there is no future-power in Amiga? No developement
is warranted and herewith a wider diffusion by up-to-date technology??

Exactly here (at last?!) a conclusion can be made. Conversion will be
written in capital letters and will be seriously meant! We will see!

But QNX should in no case give up!!! Their Neutrino seems to have the
power of a Linux-II.

Might they consider an Amiga conversion I shouldn't hesitate to transform
my programs to QNX immediately. In no way I'd support the 'slaying' of
other operating systems, which the Redmond enterprise 'succeeded' in!
There seems to flow to much Amiga blood in my digital veins? ;-))

I know, I am an incorrigible optimist. But if the promises will come true
an Jim really presents us a computer for the next millennium I'll not
hesitate for even 5 seconds and buy it directly out of Jim's hand.

Otherwise you only can hope, that the Amirage-K2 will occupy the position
of the Amiga and many conversion to the Linux-similar QNX will follow.
Because in that case I'll personally tickle Jim Collas to death !!! ;-))

... may Chris Huelsbeck, Rob Hubbard, Jochen Hippel und Martin
Galway never become deaf ...

Yours

Stefano "Max Headroom" Pucino «