At the end

"Don't give up!" is the slogan

It is not just me, but all the other members of the newsroom have to notice, that most readers seem not to have much motivation, to help us with AMIGA aktuell (International). Even with slightly rising numbers of subscribers - currently there are approx. 900 readers of the German and approx. 30 readers of the International version, which get the magazine by eMail each month - which is not against AMIGA aktuell, if you consider the AMIGA situation, the number of articles goes down. This is true for editorial articles like e.g. test reports as well as for actions like the competition and the FD charts and the normal feedback.

Also summonses get (nearly) no reply, an example is my suggestion about creating an AMIGA-aktuell (International) mailing list, on which only two readers replied (both positively).

There is a number of reliable and busy editors, which write articles each month and I want to thank them for that (the desired persons will know, they're meant), but especially the helpers, who write articles on a non-regulary basis are nearly completely missing.

Currently, the little participation might be the result of the fact, that many readers "finished" with the current Amiga and can hardly wait for its successor. Because, as I know from letters, the number of readers, who do not have a (hardware based) Amiga, is growing quickly. Another hint might be, that many users use another computer system for their online activities, so the current Amiga might considered the second computer by many people. I can feel it: The current Amiga market is close to the hard core. It is a very serious sign, if our showhorse Aminet is damaged by servers, which are defect for weeks or completely out of service.

No, don't be afraid, I don't cite dull phrases like "The Amiga is dead"e; or similar stuff, but the size of the market drops more and more to the size of the Atari market. To say it in English: The Amiga users, who are still active are the most loyal fans, you can even imagine for a computer system. But this is not enough for the surviving, new users are necessary - which brings us back to future perspectives.

Because, at least I expect, that the new Amiga operating system is not just to arrive soon, but will be favored by big parts of the Amiga users and many other computer users or is at least accepted as their new OS, I see the problems mentioned above, which not only hits AMIGA aktuell (International), but most Amiga media (in the widest sense), just as temporary ones. (Nevertheless, I will make a small summons in the next edition, any reader should participate.)

But let's take a look on the situation: When were the cances for a new Amiga better than now? The internal as well as the external factors give reason for optimism:

For the first time since Commodore bought AMIGA, it is a company, which can decide for itself and its product strategy in most sectors alone.

I was sceptical, when AMIGA was bought by Bill McEwen and Fleecy Moss on Sylvester 1999, if the company had not just the will, but the financial potential to put an Amiga successor on the market. But these doubts didn't become true. No, AMIGAs financier is not Jim Collas (contrary to earlier speculations and informations from believable sources, he has nothing to do with AMIGA, which Bill McEwen mentioned not only once). The financiers are global players, so they are really well-known companies (without any exaggeration). If they support the Amiga, this will be an enormous advantage.

In some weeks the Amiga developer system, the first step to the new Amiga, will be released. We have never been so far since the bankrupcy of Commodore.

Microsoft, which is accused to harm the competition, fights with the justice of the USA and it is very likely they don't dare to do that on AMIGA, what they are accused of.

The markets and companies are more open then ever for alternative operating systems.

Of course, there are more arguments, which could be mentioned here, but what I want to say, is: In the moment a new operating system has good chances to be established on the market, which means to get a percentage of the market, which is big enough to survive in the long term. Now it is up to AMIGA, to make the best of it. But not only AMIGA: After the release of the developer system any programmer is asked to help the system to become successful. Because the more ports of high quality software there are for the new computer, the more likely is its success. An eMail client, which has the quality of YAM should be available from the beginning - and why not get the original? The most important thing within the next month is, that the software development powers up. This would finally become an important strategic advantage in the struggle with other new operating systems, which don't have that much support.

See you next month,

yours,

Carsten Schroeder