News about AmigaNG
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News about AmigaNG
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On August 25, AMIGA Inc. announced that advance bookings were open for the AmigaDE-Player for Windows and Linux. At $14.95, appr.
DM 35.- [EURO 17.50] (later on $19.95, appr. DM 45.- [EURO 27.50]), you get the player, which lets you run AmigaDE programs under Windows or Linux. The package was said to include several games like Reversi or Tic Tac Toe and some application programs. Nothing was released about the kind of applications.
The AmigaDE-Player is distributed via the new AmigaDE Shop (http://de.amiga.com), where in the future more AmigaDE programs may be bought.
In AMIGA's own mailing list AmiOpen (open@lists.amiga.com) further details were disclosed: Anybody signing the Software-Distribution Agreement (SDA), can sell programs via AmigaDE-Shop as well.
Furthermore internally a discussion is running about a free "Light" Player and a "Full" Player with more features, which will cost. But a decision about this is not yet in sight.
Several questions remain unanswered, for instance: "Will the AmigaDE-Player use the new GUI?" or "What are the hard- and software requirements for the Player?"
Personal opinion:
"Something is going on." This was the first thought that came to mind when I heard AMIGA would soon release the AmigaDE-Player for Windows and Linux. But then I saw the catch - $19.95 would be charged, $14.95 if ordered in advance. "Oh well, if you can run your AmigaDE programs on any platform ... And somehow they must earn some money to pay their licences ..." it tickered through my mind - calmed down again. But wait a minute, what was it there at the page's border? Only screenshots of games for inbetween. Hey? So I read the appropriate text in full, vaguely sounding like this:
"AMIGA Inc. once again is excited to present (or rather announce) something to us. The AmigaDE-Player will make it possible to run all AmigaDE programs on desktops. Several applications and games are enclosed with the AmigaDE-Player."
I am firmly convinced that the AmigaDE-Player will be released before long, but what for? Why should someone buy it for some little gamies, of which there are for free for Windows and certainly also for Linux more than I can count? For the 100th Tetris-clone? It might be interesting for several applications. The same e-mail client for a PDA and the desktop: wouldn't that be good? You don't have to learn several programs and you can be sure that you can use the desktop data on the PDA - and vice versa. If the Java virtual machine from Tao really is as fast as they maintain, the AmigaDE could also be used for Java applications. But there are not many clever Java programs around at the moment.
The basic idea of running one program in any environment undoubtedly is very interesting. Same program anywhere, even if the operating system or the hardware changes. But in my opinion the reality is less of a turn-on. Who will be chafing to spend 14.95 or 19.95 Dollars, only to have the possibility of playing games from a PDA on the desktop as well. Certainly we don't know what the applications AMIGA Inc. has planned. With the proper programs this idea could really gather speed. But there still is the well-known problem of the information and marketing policy of AMIGA Inc., which I do not want to go into right now.
I am afraid, this means: Wait and see!
Oliver Tacke <oliver@aakt.de>
