Amiga News of first six months of 2010 - Part 2

[Raffaele the Amigan]

(Continues from part 1

http://www.ostan-collections.net/viewtopic.php?t=1294)

MorphOS 2.5 and Availability for eMac PPC

MorphOS 2.5 is here and suppoerts eMac PPC.
It was expected the compatibility with PowerMac and so we had had got for the first time a complete portable computer Macintosh transformed "de-facto" into an Amiga, but Powemac will be supported starting from 2.6.

MorphOS is a microkernel Operating System mimicking the AmigaOS 3.1 API but its core kernel is new, performing and capable to make performing any PPC system, even the outdated Macintosh PPC systems, even with low clock speed, giving them a new life.

It costs a lot (150 Euro) but now that Apple had suspended any new OS version for PPC systems, MorphOS has became a saviour for these computers, giving them almost many and many years of usability.

It can co-exists with MacOS X, and can dual boot with it. Best solution is to backup entire MacOS X on an external Firewire Hard Disk and install MorphOS on the internal hard Disk, and then choose at boot which one to use.
MorphOS can be freely downloaded but has a time-limit dongle. It lasts for 30 minutes of use, then freezes the computer.

You can register and pay online to remove this annoying limit.

MorphOS Release Notes

For the launch of the 2.5, it was lowered the price to 111 Euro (VAT Tax included)

We are all waiting for MOS 2.6 and then run MorphOS on PowerMac, expecially those clocked at 1.7 GHz.

(an alpha version of 3.0 running on G5 PPC has been spotted into Amiga Fair at Essen (Germany) last July.


OWB Browser and HTML5

OWB is nowadays "de facto" browser for any Amiga system. It runs on AmigaOS 4.X, ancient Motorola 68000 AmigaOS 3.9, AROS and MorphOS.

The more advanced version is the 1.7 for MorphOS. It can run HTML5 and supports standard multiplatform javascript userscripts used by any browser nowadays.
It can convert on the fly a Youtube FLV video into HTML5.

It has been so well engineered that OWB on a simply 1GHz G4 Pegasos consumes only 30% of the processor power.

There are testimonies on Amiga sistes (into an Amiga italian forum) of people who sensed the Processor fan lowering its speed even during OWB stress usage.

http://amiga.ikirsector.it/forum/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=14098&start=15

OWB also supports SWF animations and games using SWFDec as plug-in.

And By the way... What is OWB? OWB is a browser designed for embedded systems, and it was adapted to any Amiga-like Operating System (AmigaOS 68060, AmigaOS 4.X PPC, AROS X86 and MorphOS). It is based on Webkit/Safari engine. AmigaOS version passed ACID TEST with 100%.




AROS

The Open Source Amiga Operating System AROS running on Intel X86 machines begans to being complete.
Recently has been functioning on 64bit systems, and received new USB stack, nVidia graphic card drivers, and also 3D supportwith acceleration (MESA3D/Gallium3D libraries).

http://amigaworld.net/modules/news/article.php?storyid=5377

It is also available PPC version for SAM 440Flex motherboards from ACube.

http://www.aros.org


IcAROS Desktop 1.2.3

IcAROS is the live version of AROS. It can be installed on CD or USB Memory key, and make boot your PC from there and so then experiencing AROS.
Run it and discover how it is performing your Intel X86 machine running a low-footprint and no-resource consuming OS like AROS whose core is powered by AmigaOS 3.1 API.

Icaros Desktop is maintanied by italian programmer Paolo Besser:

http://vmwaros.blogspot.com/

How to install IcAROS Desktop on a USB memory key:

http://vmwaros.blogspot.com/2010/06/create-your-own-icaros-stick.html


AROS Broadway and AMCLite

AROS Broadway is the lite version of AROS (think of a lite version of an already lite Operating System like AROS). Is available on 32bit X86 platforms.

http://www.aros-broadway.de/

Native environment of AROS Broadway is the iMica computer, that is a netbook Intel ATOM. Usually IMica is sold bundle with pre-installed IcAROS Desktop.
Broadway will be flanked with AMC-Lite. AMC is the first real Amiga Multimedia Center. Its core is based on mPlayer and it ihas been created by italian programmer Fabio Falcucci "Allanon".

AMC is a program created with Hollywood visual programming suite. (See below in the Hollywood section of these Amiga news)

http://amigaworld.net/modules/news/article.php?storyid=5418

Youtube video presenting AMC:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJCBbWrjXFU


iMica Silent e AresONE!

iMica is an Intel ATOM netbook. The Silent version of this computer has been passive cooled (no any rumors or active fan). It is already installed with AROS and it ocsts only 199 English Pounds, a price aligned with WIntel Solutions.
Buying iMica will help the developers of AROS.

For £199 you get a fully working unit with a 4gb USB drive and 512mb ram, later upgrade with bigger internal drive unit if needed, either a normal 2.5" laptop drive or a totally silent 2.5" SSD drive unit. Because of the low weight, under 2kg Shipping to Europe is only £20 !!

Site: http://www.imica.net

News: AmigaWorld.net


AresONE

ARESONE is another Intel computer sold with AROS already installed.

It is an Athlon 64 X2 4400+ tower, and the minimal configuration costs only 289 euro. Sure AROS contributes to sell Amiga-Like system priced just as like normal PC systems.

And on a common Atholon computer you can choose to make run also Linux or Windows operating System.

Site of Vesalia Computer Store in germany, the creators of ARESONE:

http://www.vesalia.de/e_aresone.htm


Hollywood for Amiga and Windows

Born as multimedia presentation software, just as Amiga Scala Multimedia or Windows Powerpoint, Hollywood Amiga software has became a powerful suite for creating new software using simply the mouse, just as like you may use Visual C/C++ or Visual Basic programming suites.



Hollywood software runs nativel on all these operating systems:

AROS
AmigaOS 3.X
AmigaOS 4.X
MorphOS
Windows

(Yes it runs natively on Intel Windows too)

With just simply one touch of your mouse Hollywood can compile "on the fly" any software you desire to create and make it as complete executable file for any of these platforms:

AROS Intel X86
AmigaOS 3.X 680XX Motorola
AmigaOS 3.X Warp-UP (exe files running on Ancient Amiga Acceleration PPC processor cards)
AmigaOS 4.X PPC
MorphOS PPC
Windows XP Intel X86
MacOS X versione PPC
MacOS X versione Intel X86

Even if you know no any thing of these platforms, and even if you have no clue how to programming on it, then "no haya problemo!"... You realize the new software by hanging aroung with your mouse choosing GUI and features, and just think the results you want to achieve with the software you are creating, Then it is matter of Hollywood to build a complete executable program capable to run on any of these platforms by choosing at button "Compile" the target Operating System.

Simply click the "Compile" button on the Hollywood GUI options screen, and then choose the target system. Wait Hollywood for finish the compiling of your new software, and then run your brand new self-made program on the platform you have choosen as target.

And you can repeat the operation more times, and create multiple versions of your software targetting any of these Operating Systems.

Amazing, isn't it?

(At Forum Community Site of Hollywood it is available a DEMO download version of Hollywood for Windows: Some fetaures has been disabled and has a 30 days expiration date, but it can still show you why Hollywood is so powerful.

Site: http://www.airsoftsoftwair.de/en/prod_hollywood.html

Forum: http://www.hollywood-mal.com/

NATAMI

It is ready the Amiga AGA (classic Amiga) clone motherboard. It emulates Amiga 1200 and Amiga 4000 ancient computers using FPGA programmable Chip.

But not only!

The creators of Natami made it an "Amiga better than ancient real Amiga" by raising the amount of Graphic CHIP RAM from 2 megabyte to 256 megabyte available for audio and video.
It renews ancient copper and blitter electronic circuits of Amiga, making them show unlimited sprites and unlimited bigger, and it has also a 3D core system giving the Amiga the 3D subsystem that Commodore never gave to ancient real Amiga computers. YAY!

It will be sold as a barebone motherboard or populated with chips. It is up to yoou to choose the version you desire.

The firmware will be freely available at Natami Site.

http://www.natami.net/news.htm






Demo 3D Natami

[Red-Machine]

Nice to hear how AROS is doing.  I plan on dual-booting it once I get my new hard drive.