Quote:
takemehomegrandma wrote:
The Mac Mini does have pretty much everything a normal user will need, and it comes at *a fraction* of the cost of a Sam. And the Sam may have a spare PCI slot, but AFAIK all controllers, *including graphics*(!) (and also including that single PCI slot) sits on the same PCI bus/bandwidth.
The Sam can't compare to Mac Mini by far, not in any way of measure if you look at the whole picture, they are not even in the same league.
Mac Mini has everything a normal user will need so does the Sam.
The magic spell is
USB 2.0 and both platforms support it...
With USB 2.0 you can connect any modern device and with a reasonable transfer data amount.
Quote:
Even a Pegasos G3 @ 600MHz is probably faster than a Sam, and has better expansion options and can be purchased second hand really cheap in comparison. The Pegasos2 G4 runs circles around the Sam, and the Mac Mini is said to be close to 2x as fast as the Pegasos in certain areas. Do the math! For heavens sake, the Sam is an *Efika class* CPU, sold at a workstation price tag!
Quote:
AFAIK, apple still gives support to G4's, and I'm sure local service shops can repair the stuff even after Apple quits. The Mac Mini is a mass produced, well known hardware. Unlike the obscure Sam. Which is now *to be replaced* by the "Sam Flex" AFAIK (meaning its life cycle in practice is already over),
Nice try...
If you were honest you had pointed the fact that the lifecycle of MacMini, Pegasos and Pegasos II, and Efika I are already over...
There were plenty of official pages stated that sellings of Efika 1 are over...
Not to mention that Apple could decided to cease the support for MacMinis G4 in any moment, and support just the Dual Core model in order to force its users to jump to new Intel processors...
While batches of obscure Samanthas are already shipping...
And its repairing service it is made by loyal serious Amiga firm who already demonstrated they supported its users (Amiga users)...
Again the Sam Flex is yet to come... Sam440 EP is still shipping (they announced another batch of mainboards just one week ago [see news on the main page of Amigaworld.net])...
In the meantime, where are Efika II and Pegasos III based on PPC 8610 that were promised 2 years ago?
We still are waiting for it...
And remember:
The problem of Amiga and Amiga Like platforms is THE LACK OF MONEY...
Without money you cannot develop further platforms...
And I doubt that ACube neither Genesi have enough money to be competitive on nowadays markets...
If there will be no investor in Amiga or in MorphOS, then I seriously doubt our platforms will survive this 2008/2009 global crisis...
Remember people do not spit on Samantha...
It is being sold mainly to AmigaOS core users and I saw on on pages of Amigaworld a good number of developers to purchase it...
(almost 6 or 7 developers active in AmigaOS camp)
Do you spot the fact that until the end of 2006 and middle of 2007 there were released more programs for MorphOS than on AmigaOS while in the last year the releases are more in AmigaOS 4.0 camp?
With MorphOS running on Samantha, these developers could had purchased also MorphOS together with AOS 4.1 and we had had extended the userbase to more Amiga developers...
The more, the merrier...
This fact will had increased notheworthy the number of software available for MorphOS and when MorphOS for MacMini will had been released, then the new users had had found more programs, and more appealing software available for MorphOS, and then more more reasons to purchase it...
MorphOS need any good developer to be competitive... even just a single good programmer/coder who will start portings of new software...
And you will not find good Amiga programmers from former MacMini users, but just people who already knows what was Amiga, and some very very curious people who want to check what MorphOS could offer to them.
To renew the Amiga we need young motivated people who will became capable to learn what is the spirit of Amiga and learn how to program Amiga and MorphOS software.
And regarding userbase, you said that you doubt that Samantha sold more than 100 or 200 machines...
Well remember that if only if 100 or 150 people had choosen Samantha with MorphOS
instead than AOS 4.1 we had had increased userbase of just 100 or 150 people, and yes... they were a few, but sure we had had increased the userbase, and it had been increased with people that know the Amiga and apprecciate it and its features.
No MorphOS available for Samantha? No any new user... Bye bye money, and bye bye ready cash to develop further MorphOS releases (for MacMinis or any other platform)...
And even the
EXPENSIVE price of MorphOS could had dropped of 3 or 5 euro, or it could had dropped even more if the userbase had increased more than 150 new users...
Now the choice of MOSTeam is to sell MorphOS available for MacMinis, and it is sure a choice of selling for el-cheapo
USED HARDWARE, no matter for the price...
Hope the best lucky chance for them.
It could be a right choice but it is always AGAIN aimed at Amiga users and former Amiga users...
People using MacMinis with MacOS could choose MorphOS only if MorphOS will offer the same things that MacOS offers nowadays or even more features.
And I strongly doubt that it could offer more...
Finally remember that
G4 MacMinis are all USED hardware and you have no warranty in what conditions you purchased any item...
I purchased my Pegasos II G3 usd item, and in these days I discovered that it seems the former owner jammed internally the serial port in some ways...
Gonna make some tests to be sure about it...
I hope that those who will purchase second hand Mac Minis will have better lucky...
[ Edited by Raf_MegaByte on 2008/12/18 6:38 ]
Bill Gates "Think!", Steve Jobs: "Think different!" So... Let these guy continue blabbering thinking and enjoy computing! We are on Amiga!
