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Amiga Update (1999-09-14)
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_ __ _ <>_ __ _ ||
/\\ |\ /|| || / ` /\\ || A M I G A U P D A T E
/__\\ | \ / || || || ___ /__\\ || -News and Rumors-
/ \\_ | \/ ||_ _||_ \__// / \\_|| (An Occasional e-mail
KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING || Newsmagazine)
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AMIGA and the Amiga logo are trademarks of Amiga, Inc.
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990914
H E ' S D E A D , J I M C O L L A S . . . M A Y B E
{See Editor's Thoughts and Introduction}
T H E P R E S I D E N T S P E A K S . . .
A N A L T E R N A T I V E ?
Editor's Thoughts and Introduction:
We present the much anticipated statement from the new President of
Amiga below. Frankly, we're not sure what to make of it and will
withhold most of our comments for a few days to think it over. Our
first thought, in all honesty, is a question: if the Amiga isn't a
"box" or an operating system, what, exactly, is left? Clearly, this
statement tells us there will not be a computer from Amiga. We never
expected them to make many, but we did expect them at least to control
hardware specs for a new machine, based on recent developments. An
Internet Appliance server for the home if nothing else. Also, we
expected the same control for an operating system, not just something
to run on top of other operating systems (Windoze? NT? Mac? Solaris?)
also based on recent developments. Our second thought is another
question: what is the cost of a good Dell computer running Linux? Our
third thought: are we being too hasty in seeing only negatives here?
Is there a real vision spelled out here which could, in fact, be the
next real Amiga? That IS a possibility ... I think ...
We like to give everyone a fair chance. So, you'll get a real
editorial in the near future, after we digest this, but not tonight.
However, we bring you a second story that may be of interest to some.
Nothing seems to come easily for us, does it?
Brad Webb,
Editor
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T H E P R E S I D E N T S P E A K S . . .
September 14, 1999
TO: THE AMIGA COMMUNITY
Thanks for your notes and comments about our plans for Amiga. In the
past couple weeks, we've received hundreds -- if not thousands -- of
emails and messages from loyal Amigans worldwide, many of you
expressing a concern about Amiga's future based on recent reports in
the media and in numerous chat rooms. I am so impressed with the
spirit and passion of this great community and I wanted to make sure I
told you that.
The fact is... to borrow from Mark Twain... the reports of Amiga's
death have been greatly exaggerated. To that end, I wanted to provide
a little more detail about our plans for Amiga... both as a product
and as a company, and hopefully clear up any confusion that exists.
First, I hope you'd agree that Amiga was never about a box. It was
never about an operating system either. Sure those things were part of
what made the original Amiga great, but at its heart, Amiga was simply
about a better way. Amiga was ahead of its time. Amiga promised to
change the world. It ran against conventional wisdom and was better
than anything out there at the time. In fact, we could all argue that
it's still better than anything out there.
The ideals and spirit of that original Amiga are alive and well
today. But to limit Amiga to just one box, one product, one OS, is to
keep Amiga from ever seeing its full potential. Think about it.... The
original Amiga never did really reach its full potential despite its
technical advantages and its cost and ease of use advantages. Why?
Because it never became ubiquitous. The company's early vision was
probably too limited for the vast potential that Amiga offered.
The original Amiga was all about multi-media, so why not have Amiga
running on every type of device imaginable, on top of every other OS
out there? That's the beauty of Amiga and where we are as an industry.
We're in the midst of a revolution unlike anything the world has seen,
and Amiga has never been better positioned to change that world and
make a bigger impact. Limiting Amiga to just one box and one OS at
this point would be like offering the world a better horse and
carriage at the dawn of the automotive age. Amiga and its
revolutionary spirit deserve better than that. Amiga is going to
produce software technology that will enable Internet services on an
emerging category of products commonly referred to as "Information
Appliances". It is an exciting new mega trend in the industry and we
are excited about being at the forefront of this next great wave in
computing history. In addition, we have decided to work with business
partners who will deliver our software technology on their systems,
rather than enter the hardware business directly.
So long live Amiga, but if you think that Amiga was just a box,
you've missed the point. Amiga is about a better way. In the coming
weeks and months, we promise to keep you posted on progress against
our plans for Amiga, and we thank you for your continued support.
Let's work together to enable Amiga to revolutionize the industry and
change the world!
Long live Amiga,
Thomas J. Schmidt
President & C.E.O.
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A N A L T E R N A T I V E ?
14 Sept., 1999
== THE PHOENIX PLATFORM CONSORTIUM ==
We are pleased to announce the acceptance of provisional charter for
the Phoenix Platform Consortium.
Phoenix signatories believe it is time to place our destiny back in
the hands of folks who understand what the Amiga is all about. You
will notice members of the original Jay Miner team within our ranks.
Unlike other new entities we will not field questions from
newsgroups, mailing lists, or in email, nor will we be erecting a
marketing facade to false hopes. Results and honest direction are our
mandate.
The Phoenix Platform Consortium will assume responsibility for aid
and recommendation for reference platforms for the Amiga users who
wish to upgrade their present Amigas, as we establish an open
migration path to a new platform. That platform will in spirit and in
feel be a new Amiga experience while incorporating and surpassing the
features found on the desktop elsewhere today.
More information will be posted when we have facts to present. Please
do NOT email the participants in curiosity. We ask for your patience
in this matter. Please respect the wishes of the participants named
below. There is much to do and we have just begun.
As information becomes available it will be posted on mailing lists,
newsgroups, and at the following website: http://owlnet.net/phoenix/
which will be up shortly. This announcement is freely repostable.
Thanks, from the Phoenix Platform Consortium, currently:
Alan Crandall JMS
Alan Swithenbank Stanford Comp Systems Lab
Albert Bailey Flying Mice
Andy Finkel Met@box
Aron Digulla AROS
Bart G Colbert BG Colbert
Berardino Baratta MetroWerks
Bill Bull QNX
Bill McEwen Amino
Bohdan Lechnowsky REBOL
Bruce Ellsworth AmiTrace/ACSVideo
Carl Sassenrath REBOL
Christian Kemp ANN
Clash Bowley Flying Mice
Dan Dodge QNX
Daryl Low QNX Internship
Dave Cook GuruMeditationError
Dave Haynie Met@box
dinglis QNX
Don Cox Don Cox Computer Productions
Drew S Tarmey IAT Manufacturing
Dr Greg Perry GPSoftware
Ed MacKenty MacKenty Software Services
Eric Herget Ki Networks
Fleecy Moss Amino
Frank Friesacher QNX
Fred Wright The Wright Solution
Gary Peake Team AMIGA/OwlNet
Geert Bevin Thunderstorms/The Leaf
Giorgio Gomelsky JMS
Glenn Davidson Cloud Media
G'o'tz Ohnesorge
greenboy Phoenix
Hal Greenlee HardDrivers
Holger Kruse Nordic Global
Igor Kovalenko Motorola iDEN
Joanne Dow Wizardess Designs
Joe Gulizia SCOLA
Johan Rönnblom
John Shepard
Kevin Lowe BrainDrops
Kevin Tiernan Elfnet
Marc Albrecht A.C.T.
Mario Charest Zinformatic
Mario Saitti Phoenix
Marko Seppänen Visual Engineer
Martin McKenzie CADTech
Matt Sealey U of Leicester
Michael Battilana Cloanto
Mick Tinker Access
Odd H Sandvick
Olaf Barthel logical line GmbH
Paul Lesurf Blittersoft
Paul May Phoenix
Paul Nolan Paul Nolan Ltd
Ray Akey HMetalsoft/ZenMetal
RJ Mical Mical.org
Robert Krten PARSE/Cisco
Ron Liechty MetroWerks
Rudi Chiarito Magrathea Development
Samuel A Falvo II Dolphin
Shaun Sauve QNX
Stephane Desrosiers
Stephen Jones Siamese Systems
Steve Tomkins QNX
Tobias Abt Picasso 96
Vegard Berget
Wolf Dietrich phase 5
Interested developers may contact greenboy [greenboy@bigsky.net]
with a post titled
Dev Database «your name»
and with the following information in the body
1. Name
2. Company
3. Email@
4. Developer Category
A. Hardware
B. Software
C. Beta tester
D. Marketing/Support Functions
E. Internet-oriented development
5. Development Description (ie specialties - video, office suite, etc)
A. Current Projects
B. Past Projects
6. Platforms currently involved
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Amiga Update on the net:
All back issues available at:
http://www.globaldialog.com/~amigaupdate/index.html
Stop by and check out our archive!
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Copyright 1999 by Brad Webb. Freely distributable, if not modified.
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