I think that as part of any advertising, we should include a partial list of native third party software, and ported software, that runs great and is easy to install for an average computer user. Any new user to MorphOS will want to know what software is available for it, and what they can (and can't) do with MorphOS installed on their hardware. Such a list probably should not include software that requires complicated installation processes, or having the new user track down data files and splice them into an install, but that is just my opinion.

I was inspired by a thread recently about people who were using MorphOS3.11 as their main computer system, and the list of tasks that they were accomplishing using their MorphOS3.11 systems. It made me want to learn more about how they were doing so much with their MorphOS3.11 systems, and to try to duplicate what they were doing on my MorphOS3.11 systems. I think copying such accounts of successfully using MorphOS in daily life will be great for advertising MorphOS in a blog, or perhaps in certain other advertising media.

Unfortunately, getting MorphOS setup to do tasks like printing from modern printers, is not a straight forward, or guaranteed result with most printers. Our advertising needs to point out that MorphOS is in constant development, and a "work in progress", not a replacement for Windows or MacOSX (or even Linux). In other words, don't try to convince new users that MorphOS is something that it isn't.

I think that MorphOS can appeal to users who are curious about different operating systems than the mainstream offerings, and users who value simplicity in a computer OS. We aren't going to get hundreds of new users from people who have no connection to the Amiga in the past, or have never heard of the Amiga, but I know a few people who never used an Amiga before 2002, and have become avid users of MorphOS, so although we can't hope for many new users, we can find some. You never know who we will find, and how productive they might be in creating new, or porting existing software, to run on MorphOS in the future. What do we have to lose by trying? A bit of our time? A few dollars for advertising space? I'm willing to donate some of my time and energy, plus a few of my retirement dollars, who wants to join me?

Dude, over the past 7 years I have presented MorphOS (on a beefy and fully loaded setup) to over 250 persons (90% ex-amigans), on various exhibitions annually. Do you know how many have actually invested on it? 5. Yeap, 5 persons whereas only one registered it - an ex mac user was complaining that there was no software to install (was clueless), other two apparently wanted to play some whdload games with their amigas, so they weren't interested on the software side at all and sold the system (they bought only one mac mini and they sold it to each other after listing it to amibay), one guy was converted to OS4 and the last one he has it sitting on a pbook unused.

Long story short, the feedback I usually got was: Default Skin -> Ummm this doesn't look like AmigaOS [use OSFourOne instead], Native PPC proggies -> I want 68k software, PPC/68k combo software system -> But it runs on a Apple Mac, me no like! Playing 3D games -> Don't care, I want to play my whdload/adf, Running Whdload by double clicking and/or iGame -> Meh, I can run uae on PC as well, 30mins reboot unre -> 80 euros is such a high amount, omfg! ...

Well, over the course of years I have heard a gazillion excuses. But the one that I was able to shut down once and for all was the available software, especially classic and NG combined. I created a thread about 2.5 yrs ago which I have populated with almost 100 grabs, each one showing at least 5-8 things being done simultaneously. I still upload something from time to time, if a nice piece of software appears on MorphOS Storage.

I really don't know what should be presented to convert a user, but what I do know is that if you want to reach a broader audience make a YT video instead. Forget about grabs, fcbk groups, mailing lists, fora or even shows. Chances are that where you post your effort, audience will have already decide pro or against it. While a YT or Twitch will reach far greater number of people instead. Look at Dan Wood's vids: 3.10 review has almost 20k views on YT, while otoh I have invested much more time and effort on my system/presentations to reach just 1/20 of the people he did.

It's on my todo list tbh but I have to source equipment and found the time to make a clean video presentation.

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Thanks for the reply and your comments, and suggestion to use YouTube videos for advertisement of MorphOS. I agree that using media that is more popular today with a greater audience, is a good idea, but must be done properly, because as you have experienced yourself, if a person is introduced to MorphOS in the wrong way, they just come up with a dozen excuses on why NOT to use it. I have plenty of video equipment, so once I get enough good ideas for a YouTube video promoting MorphOS, I will begin working on creating one.

I'm interested in your prior work on compiling a list of MorphOS software, if you could provide a link to it, I'd like to take a look at it.

As I think I mentioned earlier in this thread, I am interested in hearing from users who use MorphOS on a daily basis for various tasks. If any of those users have a means to capture video of them using MorphOS daily, and can send me video clips of such use, I will attempt to use it in the near future for advertising MorphOS.

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Creating a live CD requires a tremendeous amount of testing. I know first-hand how much time and effort is invested by a whole team of developers and betatesters into preparing every new MorphOS release.

Creating and maintaining a separate distribution filled to the brim with applications would be no easier.

Moreover, these type of distributions have become outlived by more modern approaches for a while now. It is certainly desirable to offer an easy to use method for new and old users to discover and access third-party software, but in times when internet access is ubiquitous it is understandable why every modern operating system includes a semi-curated "app catalog" or "storefront" instead.

"Grunch" was a worthwhile move in this direction. I think it is valuable for managing downloads and updates but alternatives on other platforms provide more visually exciting ways of discovering new applications so this is probably a void that could be filled.

When I was searching about MorphOS, I came across to this thread on Ubuntu Forums. It is kind of old, but the comment still stands:

"I have had old PowerMac G4 lying around and I figured I'd try to get it running something more current than the Mac OS X 10.5 which was installed on it. First I wanted to try MorphOS and even installed it and everything was running fine - then I found out about MorphOS licensing and the prices and went nope.png"

https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2289495

Nobody wants to pay that money for an obscure OS (Euro exchange rates makes it even worse). And the licensing makes people a little bit irritated.

That guy was even happy with what MorphOS offered.

> Nobody wants to pay that money for an obscure OS

Most here did while it was even more expensive :-)

Let me tell you about bad and sad behavior.

Some windows users have it, they want to obtain the most paying softwares for free. So they search softwares from microsoft, adobe or others if some cracks exist. If so they download it, install it and then without paying they can use it.

A guy, who helps me for memory sticks, hard drives, power supply or other, has this behavior. One time I spoke to him about morphos. He could/might be interested but he asked there was a way to crack the licence instead of paying it. I answered him that it is not possible because the licence has multiple protections we do not know about. Then he said that it was not interesting him.

I think that the guy retrolinuz speaks about in post #31 has this bad and sad behavior.

To meditate...

Brumiga

Andreas_Wolf, yes but we can't compare ourselves with the people outside of our world. Some people, like that guy in the Ubuntu Forums, don't care about an OS being Amiga-like, they just want to revive their old computers. Morphos is pricey for that purpose.

Brumiga, that is a Linux forum, a forum about an operating system which is completely free. :) Obviously he just wants to bring his old computer back to life with an acceptable cost if it is not completely free. If Morphos wants to go mainstream, they really need to reconsider their prices and their licensing process.

>>> Nobody wants to pay that money for an obscure OS

>> Most here did while it was even more expensive :-)

> we can't compare ourselves with the people outside of our world.

This I did not. I just objected to the notion that the MorphOS license purchasers are "nobody" :-)

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Linux development is funded by many other ways, they don't make the distros without getting paid somehow there mostly. But if MorphOS developers need money for something, they don't have much options. Selling the product is the only way in practise.

I rather pay for MorphOS than be without it. And if you think the price at all, you can see that it isn't that much. You've got practically "lifetime support" for your machine by single payment. Some people pay similar amount of money several times a year for some console games etc. Or how much some spend to booze each weekend, or go out for dinners... one MorphOS license is peanuts among them.

And in any case you can try MorphOS for free. If it's for you, it isn't that big investment, but otherwise I bet those users who think it should be free wouldn't use it even if they'd get it for free.

Andreas_Wolf, someone is touchy. :))

jPV, I didn't say that Morhpos should be free, I didn't even say it was expensive. For such a niche project, I think the price is fair.

What I was trying to say, currently the area where Morphos can grow, there is this huge competitor called Linux. If Morphos tries to sell itself as "an OS that you can bring your old computers back to life with", Linux will always be standing there with its tremendous software support, being a modern OS and completely free. Why would someone (non-techie, non-Amigan) buy Morphos?

If there is any other use cases for Morphos other than being an old-computer-reviver or Amiga-like OS for Amiga fans, let me know please, I am fairly new to the community.

I think what Morphos should focus on having a modern browser more than anything else at this moment. Average users don't even care about the OS itself that much, because they do almost everything on their browsers. OS is just a gateway to their browsers. :)

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Being different. In the sense of offering an alternative approach (not so much about better or worse).
Some may fit this alternative others not.

I alwyas wonder why so few actually chose MorphOS. Okay, most ppl don't care about the operating system very much and others may find it too limited and so, but I guess the main problem is actually to get heard at all.
Hence we must become LOUDER!

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Probably I'm stating the obvious here over and over, but without a fully supported modern browser, no OS can reach mass market.

By the way, Morphos, as an OS, appeared to be much better than I'd expected. Really well done.

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Why would that kind of average user choose MorphOS at all then? I guess they use what they got pre-installed with their devices? I don't think even MorphOS team is planning that kind of world domination...

It's true that browsers have become the most important software nowadays, but simultaneously they have got out of hands by their implementation. You can see how messy, bloat, unmanageable big, and resource wasting and badly working they have become. They just try to hide that with more CPU power and huge amounts of memory. It doesn't help the browser situation to have an OS that "brings your old computer to life", because nobody can make an efficient browser nowadays and making and maintaining a browser at all is such a huge task that we have to rely on ported engines. So, it'll always be a compromise on that side, and thus not suitable for those non-tech average users... unfortunately. Times of custom hobby browser development (ala IBrowse, AWeb, Voyager) are pretty much over...

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I welcome your enthusiasm (and just the fact that you are trying to say something positive, and contribute to the conversation, instead of saying what we can't do), but I don't think that being LOUDER is the answer. We must be smarter in the way we present MorphOS to other users, as well as more visible, and positive about what we can accomplish, instead of focusing on what we lack.

Like them or not, one of the things that many AmigaOS4 users have is boundless enthusiasm, even when it is not supported or warranted by any actions of the OS developer. That attitude is more attractive to new users than complaints, or doomsayers always pointing out what can't be done, and how far behind we are, and why no one in their right mind should use MorphOS.

I'm not advocating distorting of the facts, I'm just saying why not focus on the positive aspects of our OS, and the software that IS AVAILABLE for it now, plus helping every user and programmer to make things better, in what ever way that might show up.

Not everyone likes what A-Eon & AmigaKit are doing, but they are definitely doing something, which is far better than doing nothing and complaining about the situation. I support them, because they are trying to make progress, and taking risks with time and money (putting money where their mouth is, so to speak), and they have accomplished some great things. MorphOS is not going to follow the same route, but we can learn from their successes and failures, and improve upon our current state of user recruitment and software development, IF WE TRY!

If some of you think all of this is just a waste of time thinking of trying to improve the current MorphOS situation, then why are you here wasting your time reading these forum threads? Yes, PPC is dead (for the most part), and there is no news from the MorphOS Dev. Team, other than that 3.12 is close to being done and that work on moving to x64 is in progress, but with no idea of when it will be released. Getting any new great programmers to develop software for MorphOS is unlikely, but I say that trying to gain new users, and just a few competent programmers, is worth my time and efforts. I welcome every idea and suggestion on how to accomplish those two goals, more new users, and any number of new programmers, even if it is just one.

Edit: Can we talk about realistic ideas that we CAN try to do, which might gain us some new users, and how to best present MorphOS to these new users, so that they will focus on its strengths and positive features, instead of focusing on what it can't do? I want to hear from users who are doing fun and productive things with their MorphOS systems. Send me short stories of your successes, or video clips of what you are doing, so I can use that material in future advertising for MorphOS.

[ Edited by amigadave 19.09.2019 - 06:49 ]

I have a little more than a month to prepare for the 2019 AmiWest Show. If there are any other MorphOS users who are attending the show who wish to help me display MorphOS at my table, or any members of this site who have ideas, or are willing to help prepare presentations to show during the AmiWest Show, I would be greatly appreciative of such help, or ideas.

> 3.12 is close to being done

Where has this been said?

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Of course we shouldn't yell around like a drunken sailor, but to get heard you need at least a minimum level of noise. MorphOS is under the hearing threshold for most ppl. They never even heard of it. That is to change. Hence, some loudness is required.
Dunno how though. Spreading the word still seems to be the best approach.

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Indeed, which unfortunately makes a PPC-only OS more and more pointless with every year that passes, I’m afraid. I feel that without fixing this fundamental issue, there is not much point in “spreading the word” at this point.


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I’d actually like to see some confirmation about this.

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repeating that thousand times will not help as long as amiga community has nothing worth use on x86 for devs outside amiga community.

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Find Stefan Stuntz author of MUI and try to convice Him to make MUI open source.
(some crowfunding on kickstarter? some bounty?)

[ Edited by ppcamiga1 20.09.2019 - 06:36 ]

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What would be the point apart from creating one more fork?

To have something worth of use for developers outside amiga community.

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Except MUI is so much behind modern UI toolkits that nobody would ever seriously consider it, assuming it was first ported to other platforms.

Appart from the nostalgia factor (which is pretty strong at the moment when you look at the number of "retro computing" youtube channels these days) i don't see any ways to attract new users. Even if MorphOS was available on 64bit intel and provided with a browser that would compete with the current Chrome of firefox on Pc, it still wouldn't be enough.

As much as i love MorphOS, it's still 10 years late on the current trends. Today's users would consider MorphOS as an old-school curiosity at best but there's nothing that would make them leave their Macs, PCs, smartphones or tablets.

MorphOS could attract hardcore geeks, but there is still much work to do to provide them with something sexy.


[ Edited by SoundSquare 20.09.2019 - 16:37 ]