I've got to say, I'm amazed that I had never heard of Morph`O's until a few days ago. Only after struggling to find an OS that worked properly on my G5 did I stumble across it. For some reason, even OpenBSD which works great on my powerbook G4 has some major graphics glitching issues on this machine. MOS works absolutely flawlessly though, amazing.

I had completely exhausted a lot of the mainstream OSes available to me; OBSD/FreeBSD/Void/Gentoo!! I guess I'm coming to it from the perspective of a mac ppc fan, I'm only vaguely aware of `amiga' and it's modern legacy...

So yeah, how did others find this really cool, somewhat hidden, OS?

I guess most of us were kinda around when it started (as in using Amigas around 2001).

Sometimes it gets mentioned in MacPPC forums or osnews.com. As Kronos already said most of us here have their origins in the Amiga legacy.

I joined kinda late (around 2015?) as 2nd hand MacPPC gear already was very affordable. Some years before I read about the Pegasos and the AmigaOne but hesitated to get one as I also read about the various shortcomings and hardware glitches of these boards. And they are rather expensive 2nd hand, even today. So I rather got some MacPPC stuff for MorphOS despite my dislike against all Apple stuff.

Yea, I've always been an Amiga user, and did use a highly expanded A1200 as my daily computer till 2004. I've known MorphOS since the beginning (0.x versions on BlizzardPPC accelerators on Amigas around the millennium), because I have hanged on the same IRC channels with Piru, Zuikkis, and Itix since 90s. And of course you couldn't avoid hearing Piru & co. talking about MorphOS development there :)

I couldn't afford to PPC hardware in early days, but in 2004 I got an opportunity to buy a used Pegasos 1 system, it was cheap enough so I moved my daily computing from the Amiga to MorphOS. It was an easy transformation and continuation from an RTG based Amiga setup to the wayyyy faster MorphOS experience. And I've been a daily MorphOS users since then... I still have the Peg1, but also dozen of PPC Macs nowadays.

Quote:

It was planned for years as a modernisation of AmigaOS, originally as a PPC native AmigaOS 4 (following on from 3.1, published in 1992).

Its competitor, Hyperion's AmigaOS 4 (which doesn't run on Macs) hogged much of the limelight due to successfully securing the AmigaOS name but ended up being years late with poor hardware, lots of (hidden) developer clashes, and endless litigation, pretty much queering the pitch for MorphOS.

Most people running MorphOS would have moved to it the early 00s as their Amiga hardware started to crumble. They were a minority of the then-late Amiga community; most either preferred some support for the (terribly out of date, even by then) Amiga hardware graphics chipset (which MorphOS never even pretended to provide), or were swayed by cynical disinformation campaigns aimed at knocking out MorphOS as a competitor. Even more potential users left because of the squabbling, or because by this point Windows or Linux were far better alternatives to them.

Anyway... very few people have discovered MorphOS just as an alternative to mainstream operating systems on PPC Mac. I'm happy now to know one, and I hope there'll be more. I hope you enjoy the OS.

[ Edited by KennyR 09.02.2020 - 18:20 ]

Quote:

Welcome to this forum, and congrats on finding what most of us here think is the best inheritor of the Amiga legacy. It is really hard to get the interest of users who are not former Amiga users from years past. MorphOS is not equal to other mainstream operating systems, but the users who appreciate its simplicity and ease of use, plus its roots and ability to run much of the old Amiga library of software (all, if you also include one of the several UAE based emulators), continue to use it, and hope for further enhancements that will allow it to be a useful alternative, for many/most of their computing task needs. Myself, I really dislike dealing with the glitches included in Windows, which cause it to run slowly, even on state of the art hardware. I like the current state of MacOSX, but don't like the price/performance ratio of new Apple hardware, so I'm not currently using MacOSX on any of my many computers, but I might build a Hackintosh some time in the future.

My biggest interest at the moment, is how to gain more MorphOS users like yourself, and how to get more new software to run on MorphOS systems. I'd be interested to hear from you, what suggestions you think might work to find more new users who would appreciate MorphOS?

[ Edited by amigadave 09.02.2020 - 17:50 ]

Quote:

Welcome to MorphOS world and to get more useful you need download and install the Chrysalis Pack although it is for previous MorphOS version this pack has the basic software and games to enjoy the MorphOS experience:
https://www.morphos-storage.net/?page=Chrysalis

Quote:

I think being locked to PPC makes it hard for many people to give it a go. I can’t imagine too many people have old powermacs lying around. I know I wouldn't have been interested enough to go out of my way and buy hardware if I didn’t have a compatible machine to run MorphOS on in the first place...

That said, I also think the fact that it runs on PPC is really, really cool.

Quote:

Weren't we all there, when it started back in '85? Heh :)

Seriously though, I switched from OS4 about a decade ago, after a relative short yet very bad experience with SamEP440/OS4 combo. Prior, I could't justify the money needed for PPC legacy boards, so my 1200 was never expanded up to the point of being MorphOS compatible and when Peg I/II were sold I was focused on the PC, thus I couldn't afford to keep upgrading on two or more platforms.

Gathered money, spent them on my 1st NG, got burned. This was the only time which giving up on the Amiga crossed my mind. Then a friend suggested MorphOS. While I had never sheen it in action - and was greatly undermentioned / badmouthed on international amiga fora, I chipped in a small amount when a 2nd hand PMac G4 became available. I thought, what the hell 200 euros more or less compared to what I had spent already wouldn't make any difference and if MorphOS didn't work, then I would stop this NG endeavor.

Well, I still remember the moment it booted, same like I felt when my A500 first started. The speed, the quickness, the features, stability, compared to whatever Amiga solution had passed from my hand up to that point. Basically, if I could design an Amiga OS, that's the why I would choose to go (with a damn dual lister on Ambient, Jesus Christ just do it already! :P). I also tripled booted it with MacOS (can't remember the version) and an Ubuntu distro, which were both significantly inferior to what mattered to me the most, so I single partitioned the drive and MorphOS never shared any bits with another OS :)

That said my only complain has to do with the weirdness of the Apple systems, which makes it very difficult to upgrade/work with on hardware level. I bought (used) Apple only because of MorphOS and will never - ever bought any again when MorphOS slowly drifts away from PPC.

I also started the Amiga way :) I'm younger than most of you, i didn't live the Amiga days (My first computer was a p100 with windows 95) but i've been curious about old computers from very young, as I also had a NES and a Master System to fell in love with pixels, sprites and that special music :) So when i discovered amiga like 8 years ago i fell in love inmediately with it, because it was the perfect fusion of computer and classic console that i ever wanted!! I got an amiga (After a few years of putting money aside and hunting pieces here and there) And the more I used it the more my interest focused in AmigaOS instead of graphics/music. Eventually I wanted more, and between all the available options I choosed Morphos, because:

- It's the natural sucessor of AmigaOS, and compatible with its software.
- I feel confortable and like being at home, hierarchy is pretty similar and updates and changes clear and easy to understand, which leads me to the next point...
- I UNDERSTAND HOW IT WORKS, It's simple enough for that but complex enough for running very modern software. It's like Amiga, it's unlike Windows/Linux.
- It's quick. Very. I find myself looking at my powermac screen thinking "seriously, is this a 2002 computer"? You can feel how it squeezes every bit of performance from your old machine.
- It's updated often, and have good support.
- It run on Macs! I don't like apple but i can't deny the quality of those computers. For 50-100€ you have a computer worth 3000+€ 15 years ago.
- I tried AROS, it felt like a very funny hacky system but not ready for daily use.
- I have not enough interest on OS4 to buy any hardware for it, But I tried it with emulation and I liked Morphos the better.

Being honest, i think it's nearly impossible that i knew what MorphOS is if I wasn't into alternative OS's/ Amiga

Myself like the vast majority here were Commodore Amiga users. It's been touched on here, but to expand slightly, MorphOS was originally going to be the official continuation of AmigaOS. It's been under development since the mid 90s. Due to scammy business dealing by shady companies, MorphOS ended up being its own thing, while years later an Amiga game company company secured rights to develop "AmigaOS 4", splitting the market and causing ugly Kommunity wars.

The best developers and actual users moved on to the MorphOS side. The business men who wanted to squeeze every penny out possible out of the end users, and the end users who only cared about "the name" stayed with "AmigaOS 4".

Those wars are pretty much dead, considering the OS4 platform is pretty much dead. Hyperion is penniless and embroiled in lawsuits, and the only updates are coming from a single third party company. You have to pay extra for drivers, after buying a $2k++ computer over there. How the end users do not start a class action lawsuit against Hyperion is beyond me.

Anyhow, welcome! We have at least one other user (Jim) who did not come from the Commodore Amiga.

[ Edited by redrumloa 11.02.2020 - 10:18 ]

@CMTX

That's a cool story and I agree with your opinions! This is how people should get it :)

> MorphOS was originally going to be the official continuation
> of AmigaOS.

There were negotiations to that effect started in 2001 and failed the same year, years after MorphOS development started and one year after the first public beta release.

> It's been under development since the mid 90s.

If you include PowerUP development, yes. Actual MorphOS development started in 1998 according to the developers.

> MorphOS ended up being its own thing, while years later an
> Amiga game company company secured rights to develop "AmigaOS 4"

Actually, this happened October the very same year, only months after the negotiations failed in August.

> The best [...] actual users moved on to the MorphOS side.

;-)

> You have to pay extra for drivers, after buying
> a $2k++ computer over there.

I think the existing drivers for the supplied hardware are included in those "$2k++". Btw, the (MorphOS-compatible) Cyrus Plus board including Enhancer Software Plus Edition is currently just under $1470 at AmigaKit :-)

> How the end users do not start a class action
> lawsuit against Hyperion is beyond me.

What would the causes of action be?

Quote:

Are you sure the negotiations STARTED in 2001? I was always under the impression they were ongoing for a while prior and just fell apart in 2001.

Quote:

Yeah I worded that wrong. The agreement was reached in 2001, but they didn't release a beta (alpha really) for a couple years.

Quote:

I said computer though, not motherboard. To get a computer (minus monitor) would be well over $2k. My last PowerMac G5 (2.3) cost me $30, MorphOS ready.

Quote:

You should know this better than me, since you bookmark everything. So many things that have been marketed about OS4 have never come true, some of them laughably. Didn't every buyer of the X1000 get promised a free copy of AmigaOS 4.2? Along with a laundry list of features that OS4.2 was supposed to have?

Quote:

Please use the correct terminolgy:
0.6 nights out


Kinda back to topic, guess who made me turn „blue“.....

> Are you sure the negotiations STARTED in 2001?

Yes, they started after Olaf "olsen" Barthel presented the public MorphOS to Amiga Inc. As was told in laire's notorious "party on" thread on ann.lu (and the related thread on amiga-news.de), there were two negotiation processes, the first one in spring 2001 and the second and final one in summer 2001.

> I was always under the impression they were ongoing
> for a while prior and just fell apart in 2001.

I'm just going by what the MorphOS developers told in public. If you know differently, then feel free to share your knowledge.

> To get a computer (minus monitor) would be well over $2k.

Complete X5000/20 system including Enhancer Software Plus Edition is currently $1920 at AmigaKit.

>> What would the causes of action be?

> You should know this better than me

Well, I don't.

> you bookmark everything

No, I bookmark virtually nothing.

> So many things that have been marketed about OS4 have never come true

As you well know, future plans do not constitute a cause of action. The OS4 customers paid for whatever OS4 was at the time of purchase.

> Didn't every buyer of the X1000 get promised a free copy of AmigaOS 4.2?

Yes, they did, by A-Eon/AmigaKit, that is. Again no cause of action against Hyperion. And as far as I'm aware, A-Eon/AmigaKit didn't mention any time frame for this, and OS4.2 has not been released yet, with or without the once announced features.

My case is more strange, after of work with my Amiga500 updated, I begun with MorphOS because I bough one Efika but never I got install MorphOS, one time I got see the MorphOS boot pic only, and after appeared in the market the SamEp440 and I started with the OS4 and yes I was one ultra of OS4, after of have much but very much problems with the Sams because I bought three, I got of first hand my first MacMini when MorphOS started to run in this machine and since then until now, I have the two Sams like that is the AmigaOS4 the state of the art like ornament, well my Sam460ex of rack because it has problems of crashes and I'm happy with the MorphOS that I use for the browser and the PTP program transfer, I leave the OS4 sect, where only they got money from their faithful wwith strange little tricks, for that the best option to beginners is MorphOS, you can buy one mac of second hand for little money and test the system before to pay for it, the OS4 not there are these two options, buy one Sam and cross your fingers or one expensive X500xx and the OS4 is of pay not there is a demo version and the updates too of course, even the drivers.
MorphOS the best option to start in the Amiga world.

> there are these two options, buy one Sam [...] or one expensive X500xx

New Sam4x0 haven't been available for years, so it's currently just the X5000. And if we are to include used hardware, there's way more than just the Sam4x0.

Quote:

My Sams were of first hand, and it is normal that Sams aren't in the market currently with the hardware problems that they have, of four only one go fine the 25%.

>>> there are these two options, buy one Sam [...] or one expensive X500xx

>> if we are to include used hardware, there's way more than just the Sam4x0.

> it is normal that Sams aren't in the market currently

...same goes for the Eyetech AmigaOnes, the Pegasos II and the AmigaOne X1000. These are among the options for used OS4 hardware.

Quote:

You're missing the point. He's an owner of four, of which one one actually worked. Apparently the production problems were even worse than publicly known, which was bad to begin with.

>>>>> there are these two options, buy one Sam [...] or one expensive X500xx

>>>> if we are to include used hardware, there's way more than just the Sam4x0.

>>> it is normal that Sams aren't in the market currently

>> ...same goes for the Eyetech AmigaOnes, the Pegasos II and the
>> AmigaOne X1000. These are among the options for used OS4 hardware.

> You're missing the point.

Reread comments #18 and #19 to see who was missing whose point.

@meguca

And get used to the constant squabbling as it is all part of the "experience" around here.
Welcome!

I will also throw out the fact that the Tabor is now going up for sale so that will be cause for more OS4 / Hyperion / A-eon bashing.. (I am part of the "Early Adopter Program")

So please feel free to bash away!

LOL

Things never change.

Quote:

No "squabbling" here, except maybe you. He asked how we found out about this platform, and the history of "Amiga" and "Next Gen" is part of that. Some here like me gave the cliff notes, and A_W likes to correct what he sees as inaccuracies. A_W is right more often than not, so I don't see the problem. You might not like the history, but history is history.

[ Edited by redrumloa 16.02.2020 - 19:18 ]

Quote:

Looks like you are technically correct, for 2020. The US Dollar has strongly strengthened against the British pound (and Euro) in recent years.