I think there will be current mini users who would at least check out MorphOS if they heard about it. Not too much of a stretch to take it a bit further and suggest you might have a few of those folks register the OS because they like what they see.

It makes it much easier to (try to) attract new users because you aren't trying to create a new user base with new hardware.. You're just trying to appeal to an already existing user base.

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Very good points you make in the above statements. I often think out loud here and on other forums, which is probably not a good idea, as it can make me look bad from time to time. Did you pay more than $99 for your Efika board? I think the Efika was/is a very good bargain for the money spent, but the MacMini will be an even better bargain as far as price/performance goes when coupled with MorphOS3.0.

I think we all pretty much agree that the target audience is not the Mac users (unless they happen to be former Amiga users). The most likely candidates to increase the use of MorphOS, just because the port to the MacMini is completed are; #1 - AmigaOS4.x users that are on the fence wondering what MorphOS is like to use compared to their own installation of AmigaOS4.x, #2 - AmigaOS3.x users who have been waiting for a next gen Amiga, but missed out on buying an Amiga One, and were too cheap, or too skeptical to purchase a SAM, or lastly, #3 - we might get some former Amiga users who have been away for 10 years and want to see what has happened and don't mind spending the money for the cost of a used G4 PPC MacMini, since they can use it as a media player using MacOSX if they don't like MorphOS, that is if they hear about it at all.

With this being the first release of any Next Gen Amiga system on commonly available, mass produced hardware, it sure would be nice if it would result in a substantial increase in MorphOS users and developers, but I am not going to get my hopes too high that this release will change the whole outlook of the MorphOS community.

It would however be great if the MorphOS Dev Team decides to take the next logical step and completes a release of MorphOS3.x for one or more of the PPC Mac laptop models, as it would be wonderful to finally have a good Amiga-Like laptop.

I have my G4 PPC MacMini here waiting patiently for MorphOS3.0 to be released, so all I need now is more pancakes in the mornings and popcorn in the evenings while I wait for the release to happen.

Cheers to all of you that are waiting with me.

[ Edited by amigadave on 2009/6/18 19:43 ]

I'm sorry for my previous emotional post.

The answer: it's up to DevTeam guys.
If they have or will have plan, they should make small, cheap and small efforts, using community right. I think it is the most righteous solution here as I understood it recently. To let those fine men talk here when it comes to talk.

Good luck guys but I won't wish you to take time. Hyperion never sleeps I mean who knows...

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Patiently? Are you sure? I loss some hopes with this release, just rumors sometimes from the official notice, well lets see.

As for the patience, I'll write it here clearly again:

AmigaOS for MacMini is still an option, at least to me.

Peg2 Feb release shows some tendency. I wanna have modern Amiga. If anything appears on my Mac (e.g. this year), I'll just get it, both are fine systems.

There's also an option say in 2010, that both MOS and AOS are hosted on Minis. Now THAT's a competition

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MorphOS for the Minis has a chance to be a friendly alternative to OSX. Linux isn't, besides, why the hell one would need linux on the mini since OSX is a smoothly working Unix already??? I mean if one has to... To me it's kindda stupid. I work using Linux and I also adjusted my Mini so that I have the same framework there. Its like having Ubuntu and Fedora on one machine. Again, if someone has to... But this is pointless anyway.

"You couldn't install Linux on your Mini? Try MorphOS then" - catchphrase like that.

I state again that Mini users will continue using minis with OSX. MorphOS is a hobby system. Say anyone can quote A500 total sales? I say 5-15% of these figures are Mac users. PPC Mini users, best guess - below 1%. But still.

One more remark. I got a mini, purchased it some 3.5 years ago, then Intel macs came. I'm pretty sure some factory new PPC minis MUST stay in some ancient stocks, it is worth to find some reseller on the internet if someone wants to have a new one. I would and don't think the prices differ much since real value is roughly comparable now (e.g. HD been lying in a drawer for four years). Also it is a nice idea I think, to search for refurbished Minis' resources. Say if someone outside community likes MOS for some reason, he or she OUGHT TO have a possibility to buy a "new" hardware. Not too many people do they like buying computers on ebay, you never know the seller, never know the condition etc... Maybe then, MOS demo should be installed on refurbished Minis, a matter of an agreement in turn for the shop's promotion under the blue flag (certification)...

And the last one - MOS is pretty expensive but the price is, as I like to say it, only a marketing factor. And you know it, Dev Team knows it. A scale effect is what really counts in MOS future Mini sales.

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Yes, I am sure that I can wait patientely. I am sorry if you are losing hope that MorphOS will be released on the MacMini. It has been announced by at least two of the members of the MorphOS development team and more that one video of MorphOS booting on the MacMini have also been released, so I don't know why you would question that it is being worked on.

These things take time, specially on a platform where none of the technical information is released by the manufacturer, so writing drivers is even harder. So, please have patience, I am confident that the end result will be worth the wait.

(this is my first post here using OWB on my Efika)

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To be honest, I've got Moana CD at home and it doesn't prove AOS4 for Mini is coming either. Proof of concept, not much else.

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Then it (the team) requires some more "official" channel, e.g. one person, mailing list, place on the site, WHATEVER. Rumored-like information spreadout isn't fair in such a tiny ( Amiga ) world. Many loose hope eventually...

[ Edited by DiskDoctor on 2009/6/20 12:06 ]

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Be careful with marking text insidse OWB's text editor, on my Efika it tends to freeze the browser when low on mem or for some other reason inherent to the Efika - on my Peg OWB is plain stable.

@ Diskdoctor

Several MorphOS guys have confirmed that MorphOS for the Mini comes. cyfm several times repeated that MorphOS for the Mini will as come as soon as possible. I think it is understandable that the team waits for a release until the Mini version is very matured. Remember the 2.0 release for th Efika - no sound and very crashy. *I* was happy to actually got hold of that version and I was not worried, because I knew MorphOS from the Pegasos and my A1200 for years already and was pretty sure that soonly updates will follow that will wipe out those flaws. But new users may just have thought that MorphOS 2.0 is a bulky load of byte-shice, incomplete and crashy. Newbies, that we desperately are seeking for, would running away quick with such a release.
Remeber the the old phrase "you only have one chance to make a first impression".
The Mac mini version hopefully will make a first impression to quite some ppl - and therefore it must be stable and offer a complete set of driivers for average usability. At least everyone will expect *flawless* IDE, 3D gfx, LAN, usb and sound drivers. Drivers for Bluetooth and WLAN are rather unlikely, for firewire there is some slight hope for a 3rd party solution since Yomgui works on a stack (maybe one day it will be included in MorphOS).

@DiskDoctor

How is this for an official channel? And public demonstrations of MorphOS on the mini at various events? I guess that doesn't count either? Maybe you just missed it all?

What you want to know is of course that release date, I don't quite see how this will help, but ok, maybe it makes you feel better. Hope? please...

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Yes we all know these videos, news and some snapshoot, i trust in the mos developers but in this amiga world sometimes some news was just news, hope this time things seems better.

Im not talking about my patience, i have enough, but this post about morphos for mac mini are news hungry post.

Those who are patient keep silent and wait, or spread what little information has been released by the dev team to others that have not seen it yet.

Those who are not patient complain and whine about the dev team not providing more information, or answering their emails, instead of spending their time completing the coding of the port to the MacMini, as they should be doing and are doing.

I am curious about how other current users think about what is planned and if they are going to take advantage of the latest porting effort. That is why I begin threads such as this one.

I also offer to beta test, if the team should need more people testing for bugs and reporting to them, but they have not requested me to help with that part yet.

@amigadave

We just have to wait. Performance of upto 2X as fast as Pegasos 2 is going to be amazing!! I only wish they would also release a port for the G5 PowerMac..now that would be awesome!!

But nevertheless, my Mac Mini 1.5Ghz is waiting for Morphos 2.4 or 3.0, whatever Piru decides to call it...it doesn't matter. But anyway it will rock!

HammerD

I've been reading the amiga and morphos sites almost daily for the last 8-10 years. Affordable hardware that is easily available will get me in the game. Ultimately I would love to see Amiga 4.1 and Morphos both running on new hardware like the PowerStation from Fixstars.

As a computer hobbyist I would like to try and use both Operating systems. I wouldn't mind making the investment if I could run them both. I want choice. I don't want to be forced to choose between either system. The fixstars workstation is not priced that badly. Around 1200.00. If we got them to ditch one of the dual processors and used SATA instead of SAS storage a system with O.S. should be right around 1100.00 Currently my choice is to buy a 667 mhz SAM for 900.00 or an Efika with 128 mb of ram for almost 350.00-375.00 if I can find it. Not much choice there. Dual Power PCs with 2.5 ghz sounds great.

Brian D.

No Amiga-system can use more than one CPU.

Didn't PowerUp use two?

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IIRC yes and no - while two processors were available to the system there was nor real simultaneous use of both processors possible, but only one processor at a time.

Golem
thumbsup.gif

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A PowerUP application was able to simultaneously run code on both two processors (68k and PPC). That was one of the key advantages of the system over the silly WarpUP.

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Thanks for clearing that. I really forgot about the technical thing of WOS and PUP, but was only remembering the "elf is a monster" forum battle things...

kilowatt: or you can try to find a pegasos II which runs both os4.1 and morphos.
of course it wont be new but the mini wont be that either.
good luck:)

[ Edited by sadddam on 2009/6/21 14:40 ]

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OK I agree. From now on I remain more patient.

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And V92 modem!! V92 modem!!!!

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Well nothing here so this one sucks indeed.

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I got hope but unfortunately I've got a temper as well

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Good idea, man! Count me in.

And by the way - is there any official register of DevTeam members' nicks here on MorphZone? I'd like to know when I'm discussing without unnecessary profile check.

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That is the news page, you will find an announcement there when it's ready, since there is no such announcement on that page currently... well it isn't ready yet. For now this is all you will find about that topic there.

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If you put in a little effort yourself, you could have a look here (yes that site again), shouldn't take that much work to make a few connections.

Iron fist wrote: No Amiga-system can use more than one CPU.

Actually I was aware that neither Morphos or Amiga 4.1 support multiple processors. I think that Fixstars would be more open to selling the system with one of the dual processors for amiga/morphos users but I don't think that they would be willing to purchase single core processors just for us. (Selling the machines like this would be a custom option that is not currently offered)

Volume prices for these processors are usually for 1000 units. Besides it would be nice to have the second core so that at some point in the future multiple processor support can be potentially developed.

The other nice thing is that these power workstations can support a cell developers board. These would be great systems for the morphos developers to get their hands on. I like the mac mini idea but I feel that the community should not be locked into using machines that are no longer for sale and are at least 2-3 years old. We are only going to go so far with this option. Besides I would also like to see Zeta Os (BeOs) develop for this machine as well. None of the three communities really have enough volume to support a hardware vendor selling PowerPc hardware. Together we might have a chance. The bottom line is that the Amiga philosophy is sound. I believe that it is the way forward. I think that we are going to look back and realize that the current mainstream OS's are like the low quality inefficient gas guzzling cars of the 1970s. Now look at GM and Chrysler. (Notice how Apple gets this.) Of course Amiga got this about 25 years ago.

Brian M.