Amiga & AROS Archive

A few months back, I started to read about the new AmigaDE environment, AmigaOne, and the new technology Amiga is using. After Tao released their Intent/AmigaDE ADK on a cover CD bundled with Digital Magazine (and being an old Amigaen), I wanted to dig a little deeper and find out what all the fuss is about. During my search on the web, I couldn't help being a little disappointed.

In Amiga's latest executive update, Amiga Inc's CEO concentrates on the development of the AmigaOS4 desktop operating system. Initially the new PPC based AmigaOS is being targeted at Eyetech's new AmigaOne ATX motherboard (an A1200/PCI bridge will become available later on, which will allow AGA chipset compatibility, but this is not needed if you don`t want it), bplan's new multi-processor supporting PEGASOS microATX motherboard, Elbox' new G3/G4 Accelerator cards and even old Cyberstorm/Blizzard PPC accelerators for classic Amigas. Merlancia Industries, with legend Amiga hardware designer Dave Haynie as their CTO are even developing new PPC laptops. New PPC native versions of popular Amiga software including MUI and IBrowse are under development, as announced in this executive update.

Microsoft has been promoting AmigaDE software for use with WindowsCE .NET based devices at the Embedded Systems Conference in San Francisco. The AmigaDE is a binary identical layer/OS which supports almost any embedded operating system currently available, including embedded Linux, PalmOS, Epoc, VxWorks, iTRON and QNX RtP. The promotion of WindowsCE .NET AmigaDE usage confirms the widespread support and adoption of the AmigaDE/ Intent platform. Thousands of developers are working with Amiga Inc on content for new AmigaOS based desktops, laptops or other AmigaDE enabled devices including PDAs, STBs, Internet Appliances, Mobile Phones and Digital TVs.

Earlier this month some Australian Amiga User groups represented Amiga at Comdex, the biggest Australian IT show. They demonstrated AmigaDE software running binary identical at full speed across various devices, as well as introducing people to the new AmigaOS XL package. Many developers and users were amazed of what the AmigaDE can do, read the full show report here. Tomorrow Amiga Inc's CEO Bill McEwen will demonstrate Amiga products on TechTV's 'Screen Savers'. Also there will be many interesting demonstrations and seminars at the upcoming AmigaExpo, to be held later this month.

Amiga Inc has announced that it is working with Nokia to integrate AmigaDE technology into Nokia`s new Mediaterminal. The AmigaDE will offer users the ability to download and use AmigaDE applications, MP3, MPEG4, Universal Chat and streaming video, turning the family TV into a multifunctional infotainment center. AmigaDE technology will also be used in a whole scala of upcoming handheld devices and will become fully integrated in a future releases of the Amiga operating system. To get an idea of what future cellphones will look like, take a look these concept pictures of future Nokia phones. Also should be noted that PDA/cellphone targetted AmigaDE 3D games are under development. For instance an AmigaDE version of Hyperion Entertainment`s Warp3D technology was recently demonstrated to me at the Amiga 2001 fair in Cologne. Here`s a Status Report with screenshots of Payback for the AmigaDE, a GTA-clone and this year`s most popular classic 68k AmigaOS game title. If you want to speak to AmigaDE or AmigaOS designers and developers for yourself then be sure to attend the upcoming AmigaExpo show to be held in the US.

Hans-Joerg Frieden, Thomas Frieden and Steffen Haeuser will be attending an #AmigaFun meeting today at 6PM (GMT) and will be answering questions regarding AmigaOS4.x. Also this Saturday at the Alt.WoA Show in the UK, Fleecy Moss (CTO, Amiga Inc) and Alan Redhouse (CEO, Eyetech Group) will hold a presentation regarding Amiga's future plans.

Today, most Amiga users and developers own PCs next to their Amiga platform(s). The PC platform is currently the only "cheap" solution available to give access to modern day hardware. This is why many Amiga fans use it as a development platform or use PCs for applications which aren't available for the currently dated Amiga hardware platform . Of course, this is soon to change with advent of new PPC based AmigaOS 4.x compatible computers on the horizon, as well as a huge variety of AmigaDE enabled devices. But there is also another way: run AmigaOS on your PC. This article will review a new product, AmigaOS XL, which allows you to run the AmigaOS under any modern PC. Screen shots included.

Amiga Information Online has interviewed one of the early AmigaDE developer pioneers, Zeoneo. Two of Zeoneo`s PDA targetting titles, namely "Convex" and "Planet Zed" are already selling at Amiga`s online shop. Also GetBoinged recently interviewed Pagan Games. Their first PDA targetted gravity game "Blobula" is already selling and it is the first among the currently available AmigaDE PDA titles to include a music soundtrack. John Harris (orginal Frogger designer) of Pulsar Interactive will hold a class and seminar on AmigaDE Programming at the AmigaExpo which will be held on the 29th till 31st of March in the US. For an earlier look at the hardware-agnostic Amiga Digital Environment and the new PPC based AmigaOS 4.0, be sure to attend the upcoming Alt-WoA 2002 show which will be held on the 23rd of February in the UK.

NWAmiga.org has published a review regarding the AmigaOSXL and Amithlon products, which let you either run the AmigaOS 3.9 in a partition on your PC, or in the AmigaOSXL case, through the QNX RtP OS. The reviewer reports that the speed is fantastic and that these products are a great way to run Amiga and lots of its applications on your fast, modern PC, for those who want to try out the Amiga OS in a all-in-one pre-configured, legal package, and can't really mess up with the UAE cryptic interface and the hunt for the... Kickstart BIOS.

Hyperion Entertainment announced it has finalised an initial AmigaDE version of its 'Warp3D' technology. At only 56 KB it is well suited for low-end devices like PDA’s, web-tablets and 3G phones. Apex Designs is the first to announce the porting of a popular 3D Amiga game Payback to the AmigaDE. The initial AmigaDE version will not use Warp3D technology however. Have a look at these these screenshots for some of the PDA/cellphone targetted AmigaDE software currently available from the AmigaDE shop. More information and screenshots inside.

Amiga.org is organizing the first ever AmigaDE demo competition. Demos may be written in any language of preference, but the end result must be either compiled down to Virtual Processor code or must be Java Bytecode. The demos will be shown at the World of Amiga South East Show, which is being held in the UK on the 3rd of November 2001. Read more for more information regarding the Amiga Digital Environment and Amiga demos. Mike Bouma has the details.

This interview gives some more insight regarding Amiga`s imminent PDA adventures. Note that soon you will be able to use this PDA content and other AmigaDE software transparently with AmigaDE players on both Linux and Windows based platforms. How well such players will sell remains to be seen. Here`s a rather positive quote from John Harris (well known games designer of games like Frogger, Jawbreaker and Mouseattack) regarding his work for Amiga: "It literally revitalized my life!"