"Hyperion Entertainment is very pleased to announce the immediate availability (for registered AmigaOne customers) of Amiga OS 4.0, The Final Update. Originally released in May of 2004, Amiga OS 4.0 is the most stable, modern and feature-rich incarnation to date of the multi-media centric operating system launched by Commodore Business Machines (CBM) in 1985 with which it still retains a high degree of compatibility. Amiga OS 4.0, The Final Update is the culmination of 5 years of development and takes the form of a stand-alone ISO image which contains a full installation of all Amiga OS 4.0 components. A list of new features can be found here. Availability of PowerPC hardware suitable for operation with Amiga OS 4.0 will be announced by third parties early 2007." Together with Microsoft selling Linux and Apple switching to Intel, this is the definitive proof that hell is now officially frozen. I sure know I'm taking ice skates with me to the grave.
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Member since:2005-11-10
I was under the impression that AOS4 would only boot on dedicated PPC hardware (and not a normal PPC like a Mac) very much like RISC OS (except they sell a specialised commercial emulator too).
I can't quite understand this choice, as it only limits the users, increases hardware costs and lowers hardware availability. It's like deciding to make a great game, but rather than releasing it on all major consoles; deciding instead to release a special console solely for that game and that game only.
I used to use Amiga OS (and great that it was), but now as an outsider, my only opinion is that the next version should run on generic hardware (I've got a macmini that would dual boot Amiga), and forgo compatibility by emulating/virtualising an older environment for old software, in order to add proper multi tasking and memory protection, etc.
Member since:2005-06-29
Member since:2006-04-17
"And is had nice graphical interfase..."
Umm....sorry but!
I can't actually think of any UI that was more ugly and less intuitive than the Amiga workbench.
But it's what you get used to I guess.
Stepping into christmas right now...see y'all after the festivities are over 
Member since:2005-07-06
I can't actually think of any UI that was more ugly and less intuitive than the Amiga workbench.
Maybe Workbench 1.x, okay. As for Workbench 2.x and higher, they not only looked nice, but they had a lot of features that other UIs of the time lacked. *At least* compared to MS Windows (and I used both at the time).
The one serious defect of the Amiga UI, IMHO, was the default String gadget. Until they started releasing it with ClassAction as a default (in 3.5 or 3.9?), you couldn't copy & paste text. There were a number of other issues with it, too, but that's the one that always burned me.
Member since:2005-11-15
You can't think of a UI worse than Amiga?
Have you never used TOS? Windows 3.11? Which version of Amiga OS are you talking about? 1.3? Compare that with Windows 1 which came out about the same time?
Seriously what problems do you have with Amiga OS? the hiding of the right mouse button options until you press the right mouse button? Or the different drag down screens (which I think, anyway) work as well if not better than the modern Linux Multiscreens? and much better than Windows XPs alt+tab?
Member since:2006-05-29
I bet you only knew Amiga OS 1.x. Version 2 was rather pretty (especially compared to the arse-ugly Windows 3.1 of that time. A few of us had Graphic cards back then (which where rather uncommon in Amigas since most people just stuck with amiga native graphics chipset) and with an picasso graphics card, amiga os 3 together with MUI it was realy beautifull.
And an UI i can think of that was even uglyer than Amiga OS 1.x was RISC OS, the definately uglyest OS ever concieved. With those horrible patterns stuck to everything RISC OS looked like it was designed by an 6 year old (IMHO).
Member since:2006-09-10
@El-Al
I can't actually think of any UI that was more ugly and less intuitive than the Amiga workbench.
Really? Have you seen http://www.amikit.amiga.sk/screenshots.htm ?
And that's not even the latest AmigaOS4.0! It's AmigaOS3.9...
Member since:2006-09-03
>I can't actually think of any UI that was more ugly and less intuitive than the Amiga workbench.
mmmm.... windows 3.1 (years later?) .... at the time there was absolutely nothin more intuitive and easy tham AmigaOS (it was also easier to configure and to restore than any windows version ever
Did you ever use it? it seems not so...
Member since:2006-04-05
Member since:
2006-11-18
I used Amiga Workbench 2.0 for long time (+3 years), even that old OS running from 720KB DD floppy was great and rock stable.
And is had nice graphical interfase.
Amiga motto "Remember when computing was fun?" tells everything about their great attitide.
Maybe I will lauch 4.0 some time under qemu