Yokemate of Keyboards
Posts: 2720 from 2003/2/24
Quote:DJBase wrote:
Quote:
BTW, I think it would be possible to spend an infinite amount of time in adding support for all kind of classic features and configurations, but I also think that one should draw a line somewhere in how much time and effort it is worth to put on a dead-end vintage system. I think we should look at this for what it is, and I do *not* think MorphOS for classics should be considered a way forward and worth investing a lot of efforts in, but rather a way of letting classic users and developers with suitable hardware (or motivation enough to get it) try/use/develop for MorphOS. All in my humble opinion of course.
But remember there are more PowerUP Systems outhere than Pegasos and A1 together. If every second will use MorphOS than we could call this an success for the MorphOS Community. But they would need Support for their Classic Hardware.
There are certainly more PowerUP systems *manufactured*, but I kind of doubt that there are more PowerUP systems *alive* and *active* today, than there are Pegasos systems. But who knows? Difficult to tell IMHO ...
But don't get me wrong here, I am all with you when it comes to the core idea - getting the OS as widely spread as possible, in order to attract developers and users! I have advocated free releases like this since *way* back. MorphOS is a closed source, commercial OS, but charging something like $100 for the OS at this point would make no sense. It would only be counter-productive and make sure that the OS would never take off. Remember that MorphOS competes with an entire world of free, Open Source OS's and software that already has everything implemented, all state of the art Internet applications, all state of the art creativity applications, and everything else. It simply won't be possible to charge a lot more money for an OS (or platform) that has a lot less to offer.
If the OS is to move from being a "smallish hobby OS project" (perhaps a little evil phrased, but no offense intended) into a vivid and well supported *platform*, then I believe that a certain critical mass has to be reached when it comes to the amount of active third party developers (which at this point also and also makes it necessary to have lots of users on board of course). So again - at this point it only makes sense to make the OS as widely spread as possible in order to make that happen. Port it to #? PPC, release it free of charge and make it really easy for everyone to download it online, as well as joining the MDC, getting the development tools and documentation, and start being creative. Just like the MorphOS team has done now, I think they are doing everything right at the moment!
More applications, more developers, (and more of any unpredictable dynamic effects that all of this put together may bring); all this will increase the chances of the platform getting more attractive to various builders of embedded applications and consumer electronics devices. I think this is where the money will come from, not from competing head to head agains MS Windows or MacOS X on the desktop market. Seed now - harvest later.
The point of my post above was only to raise the question of prioritization. I think this PowerUP release is a great thing. It was promised way back, and now it has happened (generally speaking, I think there has been a great deal of fulfilling old promises during the last months, which is very promising
). It will bring some more talanted Amiga developers (and users) on board, that would never move away from the classics when it comes to the Amiga platform, so it can only be a good thing. And maybe there is also room for some classic specific updates in the future as well? But since there are only 24 hours in a day, and only 365 days in a year, all time and efforts that are being put into some developments, has to be developed *at the expense of something else*. The question is - what is that "something else"? What will bring the most "bang for the buck"? Is it PowerUP? Or could it perhaps be Mac Mini? Or could it be something else? Bottom line: does it make sense to spend a lot of additional time than already spent, in order to support a lot more classic configurations?
MorphOS is Amiga
done right! MorphOS NG will be AROS
done right!
