AmigaOS4 for Classic - 30th November

[Stephen Coates]

Acording to this topic (http://www.amiga.org/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=41040&forum=22), it seems that OS4 for Classsic systems will be avaliable on 30th November.

I wouldn't keep your hopes up, but OS4 does seem to be a lot more 'finished' than it was a few years ago, so it could be that we will be getting a new OS to play with soon.

If it does get released, I will definately be buying a copy. I will just need a PPC to run it on then.

(If you are wondering why I would buy a copy without a PPC, it is to make sure that I will have it for when I do get a PPC - I wouldn't want to risk it selling out, or them not being able to sell it for other reasons.)

[Puni/Void]

Fantastic news, Stephen! Thanks for finding the info and posting it for us to read. :thumbs:
I'll be buying a copy as well, even if I don't have a PPC Amiga yet. Guess it will be time for some upgrading around Christmas time! ;)

Let's cross our fingers and hope that Hyperion will be able to bring us this OS as now promised.

Btw.. does someone have recommendations when it comes to building a PPC Amiga? Which acceleratorcard should one choose, which tower, and so forth?

[Stephen Coates]

I think I will just get a Blizzard PPC for my A1200.

There is one on ebay at the moment, which I might bid on, but if I win, I will have to sell my 1230.

As for Towers, I quite fancy a D-Box, but they are very ex*****ve and I don't really want to be spending such large amount of money on a box.

EDIT: Why did the board star that word out?

[v85rawdeal]

maybe you spelt it wrong... and typed ex*****ve rather than expensive.

[Stephen Coates]

Ah.

I see. Switch the s and i round and part of the word expensive reads pen!s.

I had never noticed that.

[v85rawdeal]

Glad to be of service. :lol:

[Harrison]

That is good news indeed. I will have to buy a copy too to support the Amiga community, and will then have to look into an A1200 tower project in the new year.

Has the legal battle regarding OS4 been resolved then? Any news on that?

[Stephen Coates]

As far as I'm aware, there are still liegal problems, but I'm not completely sure.

[TiredOfLife]

I wouldn't expect the court battle to end any time soon.
There are now two cases running in two different cities.
Have recently just won a PPC on ebay, so I'm just hoping it arrives and is in full working order.
Will definitely be buying OS4.

[Puni/Void]

TireOfLife wrote:


Have recently just won a PPC on ebay, so I'm just hoping it arrives and is in full working order. Will definitely be buying OS4.

Congratulations with the PPC! What type of turbo card is it (specs)?

I've been searching around a bit myself, but haven't found much for sale yet. Guess they will increase a lot in price if Amiga OS 4 is released for classics.

[Harrison]

That is a good point! I hadn't thought about that but you are right, if OS4 is released for classic Amigas it will surely put a huge demand on the rare PPC accelerators and the price will shoot up. Now would be the perfect time for a manufacturer to have a new PPC card paused for manufacter ready for the OS4 launch.

[Puni/Void]

I agree with you about that. Maybe Elbox will release something? They have quite a few products in the pipeline, according to their homepage. Will be interesting to see if something hits the shops soon.

Anyway, I'm a bit afraid of the escalating prices, as I don't have a big fat wallet full of cash to spend on Amiga gear. If the prices on PPC stuff rises, I don't think I'll be able to buy it any time soon. Will have to save up for that! If they remain stagnant, things will be a bit different. ;)

Just wish they could release Amiga OS 4 for new-school hardwares, so that it could be used with the new SAM board. That would have been great to see.

[Harrison]

The best plan would be to make OS4 compatible with all PPC based machines. Then we could buy a cheap Mac Mini (£200 new now!) and run OS4 on that. It would be small and look nice, and would be a great solution.

I think the biggest problem for the Amiga One and all other recent PPC based systems developed is that they are all proprietary designs needing a lot of time and money spent on them to develop, test and produce. This has been the big problem as the companies doing this are always small and can't eventually cope with the manufacturing cost or demands required. Plus the limited manufacturing costs have increase the hardware prices for the customers.

If we could get OS4 for any PPC system imagine all those older PPC powered Macs out there that users are ditching to move to Intel Macs at the moment!

[Stephen Coates]

OS4 already does run on Mac Minis with Moana. It would just be nice if ACube would release the programme, but I expect that they can't for legal reasons. Or they just want to ensure that people buy their products if OS4 is made avaliable for it, rather than everyone buying old Macs.

I am bidding on a PPC card on ebay at the moment. I should be able to afford one if I sell my 1230.

Hopefully, we might see some Sharks soon as well.

[Buleste]

After visiting the hyperion page and then A-cube it looks like OS4 classic will be a bit longer. At the moment it only runs on A3000(t) and A4000(T) with PPC boards they've yet to announce a version for the A1200 and Blizzard PPC and then they're not even sure what hardware is compatable. Sounds like Hyperion are just making Big announcements without being able to back them up. I'd love to have a PPC OS running on my 200mhz 603e but as MorphOS is tempremental and you need an internet capable Amiga to run it longer than 2hrs and OS4 for the 1200 may never come out. Then we go onto what graphics cards will be needed so it's going to be even more expense. I think this may be another Shark PPC, sounds great but if it ever materializes it will be too expensive to bother with.

[Harrison]

Hi Blueste and welcome to the forum :thumbs:

That is bad news if there isn't actually any firm confirmation of the compatibility of OS4 classic.

Is this because each PPC accelerator is created in a completely different way, because there was never an actual reference standard, that they just can't create OS code that will run on any PPC processor regardless of the manufacturer?

Seems a mad situation to be in, to have PPC equipped Amiga's out there and not to code the first PPC Amiga OS to directly support them all. There are not actually that many variations and different PPC accelerators after all.

[Buleste]

I think it's possibly due to the various PPC kernals and what seems to have been a bit of a botch job by Phase5 when they first made the boards. Then on top of that there is the IDE problems with the 1200 as it looks as though all the IDE interfaces use differing methods to work and with no direction given to third party hardware developers by Amiga Inc everything is just patches and hacks with no standard. The other thing is Hyperion will not have every bit of hardware to test everything on so there's no guarantees that different combinations of hardware will be compatable. Maybe i'm just a bit pessimistic after all these years of broken promises but i do want my beloved Amiga to get into the 21st century or at least late 1990's with a fast, powerfull OS and OS4 could be it if it ever comes out.

For more information on the compatability of OS4 classic goto http://www.acube-systems.com/compatibility/

[Harrison]

I think the only solution because of this is for the developers of OS4 classic to work with a hardware manufacturer and create a PPC accelerator bundle for A1200 owners. I know that many still don't yet have a PPC for their systems so being able to buy a compatible one with OS4 bundled together would be a solution many would be willing to buy.

Also as we have all been waiting for so long already, even many with an existing PPC board would probably buy into that too just so they finally have a directly supported hardware solution.

I've always thought that will all the third party companies producing hardware for the A1200 to expand it beyond it's original design is great, why they never got together and actually developed a reference design for them all to work from was madness. It would have reduced manufacturing costs too.

[Buleste]

Let's face it cooperation between companies has never been the Amiga way. I think if Hyperion had worked with Elbox then there could have been a joint Shark PPC and OS4 Classic launch but even then you would have to buy a mediator PCI board so for the price of a super fast PC with all the bells and whistles you can have an Amiga running the OS we should have had 5 years ago with very little in the way of New software.
Another worrying thing about the Acube site was that the screen shots were from a A4000 running OS4 but also an AmigaOne. Could they not get the 4000 to ren everything???

[Harrison]

but even then you would have to buy a mediator PCI board so for the price of a super fast PC with all the bells and whistles you can have an Amiga running the OS we should have had 5 years ago with very little in the way of New software.

While this is very true, we do have to admit that the Amiga is no longer a mainstream well supported platform and is instead a platform for Amiga enthusiasts. This will always cost more than any mainstream platform due to the proprietary hardware. If we want to enjoy the Amiga then we have to pay the premium.

I'm currently still quite sceptical over OS4 actually every launching as a finished product. How long as it now been in development?

Ever since Commodore went out of business we have seen a lot of companies promising the Amiga community new hardware or software and the companies with the biggest claimed have never delivered and instead just faded away without any follow up announcements.

Look at the Dragon Coldfire for example. How long ago was that meant to be ready? It was first announced in 2004, and they showed the preview of it over a year ago and still nothing. Elbox's last update about it is even dated November 2006! And this is a product I have been wanting to buy since it was announced as I'm more interested in running 68K Amiga code than PPC and this would have been perfect.

[Stephen Coates]

As there are actually versions of OS4 avaliable for Classic and AmigaOne, it was only going to be a matter of time before it gets released as a final product.

I've no idea when we'll be seeing the Dragons though.

[Harrison]

But they have been saying that for a very long time now Steve. Look how long ago the Amiga One was sold with the OS4 beta included. Years ago, and they said the final version would be available soon after that.

I hope it is correct and we see it released in the next few months. But I am sceptical just because of the past.

[Puni/Void]

Just have to add something in the middle of the discussion here. As I've been searching around for hardware to soup up my Amiga, I've noticed that it is too expensive for me. PPC accelerators are currently going for quite a lot of money, and I personally can't justify spending over 300£ on old hardware. :( Therefore I won't be upgrading my old Amiga to meet the demands of OS4. I will instead wait and see if new hardware will be released in the future. In the meantime I guess things will work out OK with my 030 powered 1200 and WinUAE.

So what do you guys think about the current price situation when it comes to PPC cards for the Amiga? Will you consider spending something like 250-300£ on such hardware?

Also, do you think OS4 will be ported to work with EFIKA or the new SAM? If yes, will any of these be of interest to you?

[Harrison]

If OS4 is ported to run on brand new hardware then yes I would be very interested. But I would not be willing to pay £300 for an old PPC accelerator that probably cost less than that when new and might not even work properly due to age and being second hand.

[Stephen Coates]

I might spend something like that on a PPC if I could afford it, but it does depend on the condition of it.

I would be more interested in newer hardware if it is made avaliable. It would certianly be good if it was ported to the Efika. It looks like a nice little low cost system which would probably run the AmigaOS quite well.

Even if we can't run OS4, the 030 is still a nice fast processor and will be fine with WB3.

What I might see about doing is a tower conversion with PCI and graphics card for my 030 amiga, as apparently, a graphics card will be make a big difference, even with an 030. Then if I decided to get a PPC later, I can.

[Harrison]

A graphics card will indeed make a huge difference in Workbench. A dedicated card means the Amiga doesn't have to use it's own chip ram to hold the screen data and can free that purely for system code. And a graphics card has dedicated on board ram running much faster than the Amiga's own system bus. Definitely one of the best upgrades for anyone using Workbench more than gaming.

[Buleste]

I have to say about 6 months ago i bought a 200Mhz Blizzard PPC card for £340 with 256mb RAM and an 040 on board. While the 040 has increased things nicely the PPC has been a pain. When you get things to run it's great (SimonII is a prime example). However WarpUP and Warp3d are very fickle beasts (I've never been able to get Wipeout2047 to work and some WarpUp stuff just give me enforcer hits). I have a ZIV expansion board with a CV64/3D which i've had for years and a graphics card can be great however only for software that use retargetable graphics. In many ways i wish i'd stuck to my old 030 and spent the money on a PCI board and cheap graphics card but what the hell. I've stuck by my A1200 for too long to give it up now.

Forgot to add. If only i could get SimCity2000 working with CGX i'd be happy.

[Harrison]

Sim City 2000 was definitely one AGA game that benefited from more speed. I used to play it on my A4000 but even then it was quite slow to update when you zoomed in and out of the map.

[Stephen Coates]

Update:

AmigaKit say they expect OS4 will cost £59.99.

Or you can preorder one from someone on ebay for £64.99 - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/AMIGA-OS4-For-Amiga-with-Blizzard-or-Cyberstorm-PPC-New_W0QQitemZ230185831381QQihZ013QQcategoryZ4193QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

(I don't recomend the second option)

[TiredOfLife]

OS4.0 will be released for he A1200 and a Blizzard PPC.
Says that quite clearly on the Hyperion site.
One of the programmers posts on another site and is confident this will happen as planned on the 30/11/2007.
Have arranged to buy a PPC off someone on Ebay, but I haven't heard from him for a few days.
Needless to say I've done everything I need to do, so just waiting on him.
Hope I haven't been scammed but I wouldn't be the 1st on ebay.

[Harrison]

At least buyers are now better protected on ebay than before. If you do get scammed, and never see the item, then they will normally get you the money back.

[TiredOfLife]

I think I have been, to be honest.
I sent an email Wednesday but he hasn't responded.
Have sent several more at the weekend.

The worst thing is, I sent him my 060 as part payment in trade.
I know that was signed for at his end on Friday.
Would be more annoyed to lose that than the money as it would be difficult replacing that.

Having said that, I would still like to get my hands on a PPC, which would render the 060 obsolete.

[Harrison]

Well, if he only received the 060 on Friday then it's only Monday now. He might have been waiting for the 060 to arrive before he then posted the card to you, which he probably would do this week.

[TiredOfLife]

Well he has finally emailed me back.
He says he was a bit concerned because I said he should have the board now and it hadn't arrived or a card left by the postie.

I did give him the tracking number though so all he had to do was phone up Royal Mail.
He says a neigbour had it and only delivered it last night.

He also said he would post the PPC tomorrow morning and email me a tracking number.
Hoepfully he is on the level.

Have seen a better specced one on Ebay today.
Was tempted to bid for that, but I can see the prices being even higher now OS4.0 is on the horizon for classics.

[TiredOfLife]

Got a tracking number today, so looking better.

[Stephen Coates]

Good hope you get it soon :)

[Harrison]

Bet you are really looking forward to that arriving, and then for the 30th November to be here. :)

[TiredOfLife]

You have no idea.

My system is massively tinkered with to get the best performance.
Trouble is, that was for the 1260 and am now running a 1230.
It's killing me.:mad:

Will be chuffed to get the PPC board , just to get back to the 060.
Will then spend the time up until the 30/11/07, seeing what improvements can be made for the PPC element :hmmm:

And then it's all start again for OS4.0. :D

[Buleste]

Don't expect the PPC to give you any performance boost when you're running things normally as the speed of your system will depend on the type of 68000 cpu you have on the board. The only thing thats improved significantly in the every day running of workbench is viewing jpegs as most PPC dtypes are for MOS or OS4. Also I've just thought, OS4.0 was designed for Amga one boards which have far better PPC chips on board so OS4 for classic may be like trying to run Vista on a PII with 256mb of ram.

[TiredOfLife]

The 68k element of the PPC is the same as what I had, 060 50mhz.
Believe me, there is a significant improvement of the 030 50mhz.

I sent the 060 off as part payment for the PPC board, which is why I am currently using the 030.

I have read somewhere that 4.0 runs faster than 3.9 when using a classic.
Will try and have that confirmed.

[Stephen Coates]

Has anyone seen the OS4/Classic video from IntuitionBase that was made a couple of years ago?

That video shows it running on a 160MHz PPC (I think it's 160) and it looks OK in the Workbench.

[TiredOfLife]

No I haven't
That's the second time in two days someone has mentioned intuitionbase.
Where is it?

[Stephen Coates]

The video is here:
http://intuitionbase.com/multimedia/OS4_BPPC.avi (MJPEG)
http://intuitionbase.com/multimedia/OS4_BPPC.mpg (MPEG1)

It is in the Multimedia section at www.intuitionbase.com

[TiredOfLife]

Cheers Ste
Downloading it now.

[Tiago]

Are 2 files the same videos with different extension ? Or different videos?

[Stephen Coates]

Same video. Just different formats.

I downloaded the .avi one which works fine in Windows media player.

[Tiago]

Same video. Just different formats.

I downloaded the .avi one which works fine in Windows media player.

I did the mpg workfs fine also.
good looking inviroment he has, looks nice.

[Harrison]

AVI version is 49MB, and MPG one is only 29MB, so if you don't want to wait as long opt for the MPG one.

I'm downloading it now.

[Buleste]

At long last the compatability list is up on http://www.acube-systems.com/compatibility/ and Amikit have listed the price as £59.99. However it looks like if i do buy it it'll be hope and pray that it works. If you have a GREX PCI slot then you're going to be dissapointed. If you own a PCI soundcard then again dissapointment unless the soundcard supports DMA. And theres no mention of Clockport devices.

[Harrison]

That at least seems to be quite an extensive compatibility list with reasons given for any issues. More than could be hoped for from many developers.

As you say, it does seem that many things are not compatible, but I suppose they have to draw the line somewhere or else they could be working on the OS for much longer trying to get all hardware to work.

Hopefully once the OS is released people will try and write drivers to get some of the hardware to work again. Especially things like the A4000T onboard SCSI and the BLizzard SCSI module which it both states won't work!

[Buleste]

I think i'm more dissapointed in the lack of PCI support as PCI cards are the only area where classic Amigas are getting even close to new hardware. But almost total lack of SCSI support is a huge oversight. Still i'm sure once it's released then hopfully we'll see more hardware that it's compatable with.

[Stephen Coates]

Is anyone here going to get a copy?

I decided I might wait till (if) I get a PPC. I am still looking forward to seeing it though.

[Harrison]

Similar here. If and when I do eventually get a PPC accelerator for either my A1200 or A4000, or if I manage to get an A1 then I will purchase a copy.

BTW Steve, you mentioned that using a hack it might be possible to run OS4 on a PPC Mac. Do you have any links or more information about this? If it works well then I would just buy a second hand Mac Mini or G4 and run it on that.

[TiredOfLife]

Not a hack as such.
But it has been done but can't be released for legal reasons.
Hyperion can only release OS4.0 for the AmigaOne and for classic Amigas with PPC.

Have preordered it on Sunday so hopefully it won't be too much longer now.

[Stephen Coates]

BTW Steve, you mentioned that using a hack it might be possible to run OS4 on a PPC Mac. Do you have any links or more information about this? If it works well then I would just buy a second hand Mac Mini or G4 and run it on that.

I think there were some topics about it on amiga.org. Someone (ACube?) made a programme which made OS4 work on the Mac Mini.

I don't think it will get released (at least not in the near future) and I don't know if it will work on any macs other than the mini.

I would still be interested to see if it would be possible to run OS4 in QEMU or PearPC. I guess that would be possible but they would probably both need some modification, and maybe some ROMs.

Maybe the developers of UAE should take PearPC's PPC emulation and add it to UAE to emulate a Blizzard.

By the way, it looks like it has actually been released, and that for once, none of the companies were telling porkies. Maybe it was a good thing that Amiga Inc were not the ones making OS4 now as they seem to have been telling enough lies about it's release in the past.

Now we just have to wait for Amiga Inc to sort this legal stuff out so Hyperion can work on the AmigaOne version. Does anyone know the current sitation of their legal problems?

[Harrison]

I've not heard any more news on the legal issues regarding the two companies. So this release of OS4 is purely the classic version and not the one for Amiga One systems? I bet owners of those are very annoyed.

BTW, the Amiga One contains an additional rom on it's motherboard that contains code that allows OS4 to run, much like the Macs have for MacOS. Does anyone know if OS4 will still utilise this rom before allowing the A1 version to work?

[Stephen Coates]

Yes, this version is Classic only.

I don't think A1 owners should be that dissappointed as they have had plenty of notice about this.

I would be very surprised if OS4 didn't look for/need the ROMs in an A1.

[Harrison]

I've talked about this before, but don't you all think they are restricting OS4 a lot by not making the code compatible with all PPC based systems. PPC Linux can be compiled to run on pretty much any PPC based system, so why not develop OS4 to be the same? Seems completely mad to me.

In fact I think making OS4 completely open source would have been a better direction to take the OS than trying to continue it as a commercial venture. There just isn't the third party application development still going for the platform to compete with any other current commercial OS, and being open source would attract a lot of interest and we would see a lot of linux applications ported.

[Stephen Coates]

I've talked about this before, but don't you all think they are restricting OS4 a lot by not making the code compatible with all PPC based systems. PPC Linux can be compiled to run on pretty much any PPC based system, so why not develop OS4 to be the same? Seems completely mad to me.

I think you already answered this:


As you say, it does seem that many things are not compatible, but I suppose they have to draw the line somewhere or else they could be working on the OS for much longer trying to get all hardware to work.

It would have it's advantages, but the current situation is really no different to Apple and their MacOSX, which only works on Macs. It has been hacked to run on non Apple PCs, just as AmigaOS4 has been hacked to run on Macs. And the 68k versions of AmigaOS were never ported to other systems, so Hyperion are probably just continuing this.

[Harrison]

But Apple just did it to force people who wanted the Mac OS and compatible software into buying their hardware, which has always been their only profitable area. Look how short lived the Mac Clones were.

[Teho]

I've talked about this before, but don't you all think they are restricting OS4 a lot by not making the code compatible with all PPC based systems. PPC Linux can be compiled to run on pretty much any PPC based system, so why not develop OS4 to be the same?

That'd be bloody cool actually, because then you could probably install it on a PS3! :)

[Harrison]

That is a great point Teho. It would be really cool having OS4 running on the next gen consoles. :) Sadly I can't see it happening. :(

[Submeg]

Petition anyone? :eyebrow:

[Harrison]

Could you see that helping? Look how long it took for them to write OS4 for the official machine. How long would they take for an unofficial one!

[Stephen Coates]

I think AmigaOS should stay on Amigas.

[Harrison]

I don't for the simple reason that the hardware is getting older and older and won't keep working forever. And the Amiga One can hardly really be called an Amiga in the true sense of the word. No custom Amiga hardware or kickstart roms so what is left to make it an Amiga? I think OS4, or maybe the next OS5 should just move over to run on any Intel compatible PC. That would instantly open up its market and sell a lot more copies. Imagine all the old Amiga fans who now no longer own an Amiga, but have a PC. Many would jump at the chance to access the OS again. And build in classic Amiga emulation for original games and software, and include direct support for the CatWeasel controller and you would have a brilliant setup.

[Stephen Coates]

But the fact that all the software for it is PPC though and that we are unlikely to see a Blizzard-Pentium in the future means it would be difficult to move away from PPC.

[Submeg]

Still, I would have to say it would be a good idea.....we would get a lot of new members then!

[Harrison]

Why? current dual core CPUs should be more than fast enough to emulate PPC native code of required, until intel native code started to be written. Apple managed it. Although they do have a slightly bigger budget and resources to hand.

[Stephen Coates]

Apple managed it. Although they do have a slightly bigger budget and resources to hand.

Exactly. They have more money, more developers,and more users. Therefore switching to intel will have been much easier for them. I'm guessing the fact that their OS is Unix based also might have made it easier.

Yes, it wouldbe good to run OS4 on an Intel, but you have to take into account the fact that lots of people have already spent money on PPCs, and that software is currently being developped for the PPC, and as I said earlier, we don't have any Blizzard-Pentiums, but we do already Blizzard PPCs and I think one of the aims of OS4 is to remain compatible with older systems. And I'm sure the current/future PowerPCs will be more than powerful enough to run all the amiga os/software wile remaining compatible with existing system and not requiring everyone to purchase new hardware and all the developers to develop there software for a different processor.

[Harrison]

There were other reasons why Apple jumped ship and moved completely over to Intel processors. IBM just were not developing PPC processors at the same speed as Intel and Apple could see they were in danger of being left behind. Also Apple needed a mobile G5 processor for their laptops to keep them competitive with Intel PC mobiles and IMB refused to develop a cool running G5 for this purpose as it would have cost them too much in development compared to the return on investment.

IBM however are now much better off without Apple always demanding better processors. Why? They have an exclusive deal with Apple's arch rival Microsoft, supplying PPC cpu's for the Xbox 360. And as it is a console the CPU never needs to have more development done to it, it is a fixed unit so they can just keep turning out the same chip for the life of the console and watch the money roll in.

However, what this does mean is that PPC chip development is probably not focused on development for desktop use at the moment and instead is more likely to be developed for integrated and mobile technology instead. A market where Intel can't really use any of their current desktop or mobile processors, but PPC is ideally suited.

Of course this could be a cool development for the Amiga, if ever anyone decided to exploit it. A mobile Amiga running OS4 on a portable PPC powered platform? Good idea, but I doubt it will come it anything.

BTW, the rumours and initial announcements do hint at Amiga OS5 being a portable OS that will run across multiple platforms. What this actually means is anyone's guess, and we don't even know if OS5 is even related to Workbench. It could just be a confusing name given to the new OS that has been in development for mobile devices anyway, but I hope that isn't the case.

[Buleste]

The compatability list was updated on 01/12/07. At least now i know my CV64/3D works if i decide to get it.

[Stephen Coates]

However, what this does mean is that PPC chip development is probably not focused on development for desktop use at the moment and instead is more likely to be developed for integrated and mobile technology instead. A market where Intel can't really use any of their current desktop or mobile processors, but PPC is ideally suited.

I think Amiga Inc have been saying things about this for ages. And I think I remember hyperion or omeone else saying that amigaos 4 makes a good system for portable/integrated devices.

[Harrison]

They have been saying it since the middle of the 90's and some have tried to integrate Workbench/Amiga OS into some integrated platforms including the most famous which was going to use it in a set top TV box, but that idea was scrapped due to funding reasons. These days it would run easily on a PDA style device, or even something like a smart phone. Imagine how cool that would be, an Amiga phone! ;)

[Stephen Coates]

Not a telephone.

Telephones are for making telephone calls with. Not as a computer replacement.

PDAs might be OK though.

[Harrison]

But is a smart phone really a phone? Look at the Nokia N range and make your own mind up. I think the phone part is really just a part of them left over from the past when you look at what else they do. Although I've heard the N range of phones do crash a lot!

[TiredOfLife]

Sony have been approached allegedly.
Supposed to be quite interested.
Again nothing can happen until the court case is resolved.

[Buleste]

I'm a little concerned if OS4 classic is going to be delivered. Whilst Nov 30th was the official release date Hyperion also states that it may be later depending on where you are and AmiKit, who are the only seemingly large retailer in the U.K., don't have it in yet. Another failier by Hyperion?

[Stephen Coates]

Are you saying that it hasn't been released yet?

Vesalia seem to have it in stock, and there are photos of the box/disks/manuals on the Amiga Future website. If AmigaKit don't have it in stock the only thing I can think of is that they have sold out.

[Buleste]

AmiKit have arriving imminantly. I.E. We've ordered them but are waiting for tehm to arrive. Strange thing is i've just been looking on ebay and there's a guy selling a PPC but is also showing pictures of OS4 classic being installed..

[Stephen Coates]

I'm sure OS4 classic has been released and has been purchased and recieved by people.

But even if it hasn't there have been beta versions of OS4 classic for a few years now.

[Harrison]

I also think some people have already got hold of it because of screenshots I've seen, plus as you mentioned one seller on ebay is showing the PS4 installation screenshots.

But lets hope it isn't delayed getting to everyone after we have been waiting so long.

I'm a little sad now that I don't have any way to run it. :(

[Buleste]

Boy am I glad to be wrong. The latest statement from AmiKit is as follows

*** First batch of stock has now arrived today and has been sold to customers who placed preorders before 5th Dec. The next batch of stock is due shortly in a few working days. We are taking pre-orders for the next batch now ***

Next batch due on 13th December.
If anyone on here is one of the lucky recipients please let us know.

[Stephen Coates]

I was saying about post slowing it down on #amiga.org the other day.

<Hyperion> Sorry, you won't be able to get your copy of OS4 now, it got lost in the post on the way to the suppliers and we can't afford to make any more. You'll have to wait another couple of years.

[Harrison]

The CDs of OS4 will probably turn up in some government department. ;)

Lets hope they are not using TNT to post them! :lol:

[Puni/Void]

Harrison wrote:


I'm a little sad now that I don't have any way to run it.

I understand how you feel. :( There are many of us who would have loved to try out the new OS, but are unable due to lack of hardware. Since those PPC cards are both rare and horribly expensive as well, I guess we'll just have to wait for a miracle. ;)

Maybe some of you that can actually run this OS can post some screenshots and write some text about it once you've tried it out? Thanks in advance.

[Harrison]

That is a great idea. It would be great to include something about OS4 on the main site in an article, but we would need those of you who have bought a copy to write it for the site. A sort of first impression and overall review would be great, and if more than one member wrote something then we could have an article with multiple points of view.