Castle have issued RISC OS 5.07 to Iyonix users via their online update system, superseding the previously available version of 5.06. A number of “non-critical” software updates will also be made available shortly, according to Castle.
RISC OS 5.07 released
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Eugenia Loli
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i hope RISC OS has a long and productive future ahead of it….
RISC OS rules!
“i hope RISC OS has a long and productive future ahead of it….”
Judging by the fact that there are only two comments on a website with extensive coverage of ‘alternative’ OS, I guess not.
Mind you I guess it’s still only lunch time in the UK and that is probably the onlyplace one will find RISC OS users.
Cheers.
Not a very common platform here in Canada (almost innexistant), probably the same in the U.S. A very small user base.
Still, it’s good news to the users of this OS.
It’s not dead.
So, how many lyonix systems have been sold, actually? Does anyone have an approximate figure?
I have no clue. All I know is that I REALLY want one
I did have a long demo of a RISC OS machine when I first started to move away from Windows a few years ago. It was very impressive but I was worried about the fact the new bleeding edge hardware always seemed to be just around the corner.
In the end I went for BeOS but I guess that is even deader that RISC OS, albeit with a larger user base.
Cheers
Hanging around Drobe a bit, considering buying a RiscOS machine (decided not too, waaaay too expensive), but I noticed the RiscOS users seem to have serious but what seemed (from the outside) to be ignored fragmentation.
Two OS vendors making what I assume are compatible OS’s. God knows how many browsers, none of which are up to anything.
Was this just interpreted incorrectly by me, or is RiscOS more fragmented than BeOS or the Amiga?
There are two versions of the os because one is 26-bit and the other is 32-bit. Castle is working on the 32-bit version. Riscos ltd makes the 26-bit version. I’ve been told the initial problems between them have been resolved. The versions of the OS you run depends on your hardware. Iyonix runs the 32-bit castle version. Everyone else runs the 26-bit version from Riscos ltd.
>RiscOS more fragmented than the Amiga?
I think it cannot be… More fragmentation than the Amiga would mean blood…
But I thought everything went OK ? Are they still fragmented ?
Leo.
The Amiga isn’t fragmented anymore because those on one side all changed OS’s – MorphOS 🙂
Thanks for the clarification over the 26/32 bit versions. Does the 32-bit version support the 26 bit applications?
Anyway, any recommendations of a cheap-ish way for a new user to get into RiscOS – the Iyonix is way to expensive for a first venture, considering I’ve never used RiscOS before.
As far I as know, most of the useful software have been, or are being, rewritten (recompiled?) to be compatible with both flavours of RiscOS. Bear in mind, though, that there isn’t all that much out there (no disrespect to the userbase!)
I would say that the fragmentation is relative, and the differences negligible compared to the different Linux distributions, or Windows XP & 2000. The world of RiscOS is tiny compared to Windows & Linux, so any ripples in the community are going to look like tidal waves.
Can anyone point me to a site about the current state of what passes for the Amiga? I’ve been a fan of both the Amiga and Acorn platforms, but with regards to the Amiga, its status just got too confusing after the Gateway phase!
Seriously, don’t waste your money. I owned an A3000 for years. I ended up giving it away because it just wasn’t worth the hassle.
The Iyonix *looks* nice, but is seriously overpriced for a desktop.
Sheesh, you could buy a 133MHz BeBox for less 😉
Firstly, it’s “RISC OS”. not “RiscOS”. Yes, Iyonixes are expensive, but that as must be in a small market, and generally will last longer than a PC.
In any case, if you want a cheap RISC OS machine, you can pick up a RiscPC dirt cheap on ebay or comp.sys.acorn.hardware – not the most powerful RISC OS machine, but the one most users have and still very usable.
Sorry for that, years of BeOS use have got me used to that capitalisation sysem.
I assumed the RiscPC was too old, clearly not then. Schools here are chucking them, might grab one if I can.
Nope, you will not buy a BeBox (ANY BeBox) for less. The BeBox has estabilished itself as a coveted vintage platform, and it costs a lot of moolah, and the trend is upwards.
This “RiscPC”, does it support the 32-bit RISC OS, or the 26-bit one? Dunno, 32 sounds better than 26… ;o)))
Code that is written to be 32bit neutral will run on either 26 or 32bit only systems.
32bit only refers to the length of the CPU program counter (the 26 bit one is that length and the rest is used for holding processor flags/status bits). The 32bit one allows you to have larger programs (the 26bit is more limited – but as *all* RISC OS programs tend to be fairly small *anyway* the limitation is not as problematic as it sounds). The original reason for having the status/PSR and PC in one register was that you could save and restore both the program counter and flags in ONE instruction (i.e., FAST).
The real need for 32bit is prompted because newer/faster ARM processors don’t support the old 26bit mode. RISC OS 5.XX (Castle Version) as it is 32bit can support these faster processors whereas RISC OS 4.XX (the RISC OS Ltd version) can’t.
A RISC PC is an excellent introduction to the machine. The fact that these were originally designed in 1994 is testimony to the beauty of the OS – you will happily do the VAST majority of day-to-day work on it and not notice it’s a ten year old machine. Stunning.
Anyone who is interested – look out for systems on Ebay, preferably which come with plenty of software (so that you can actually see what to do with it!) Beware that the software available is restricted compared to other platforms, so it would be as a supplement to a PC/Mac for most specialist purposes.
Its strengths are sheer ease of use. If you’ve used TechWriter, Ovation Pro or the latest versions of Artworks, you’ll have difficulty using Word or any vector graphics package for the PC ever again. There is a good degree of cross-platform compatibility too, notably because it’s essential :o). It’s not always that things are original, just that they work nicely together and you can easily interwork between applications.
RISC PCs you really want are ones with a StrongARM processor in, and ideally RISC OS 4.XX. Do NOT be fooled that just because your phone has the same processor, it can’t be any good as a desktop machine. The OS is /extremely/ efficient.
drobe.co.uk is a great place to learn about them too.