====================================================================== _ __ _ <>_ __ _ || /\\ |\ /|| || / ` /\\ || A M I G A U P D A T E /__\\ | \ / || || || ___ /__\\ || -News and Rumors- / \\_ | \/ ||_ _||_ \__// / \\_|| (An Occasional e-mail KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING || Newsmagazine) ====================================================================== AMIGA and the Amiga logo are trademarks of Amiga, Inc. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 990914 H E ' S D E A D , J I M C O L L A S . . . M A Y B E {See Editor's Thoughts and Introduction} T H E P R E S I D E N T S P E A K S . . . A N A L T E R N A T I V E ? Editor's Thoughts and Introduction: We present the much anticipated statement from the new President of Amiga below. Frankly, we're not sure what to make of it and will withhold most of our comments for a few days to think it over. Our first thought, in all honesty, is a question: if the Amiga isn't a "box" or an operating system, what, exactly, is left? Clearly, this statement tells us there will not be a computer from Amiga. We never expected them to make many, but we did expect them at least to control hardware specs for a new machine, based on recent developments. An Internet Appliance server for the home if nothing else. Also, we expected the same control for an operating system, not just something to run on top of other operating systems (Windoze? NT? Mac? Solaris?) also based on recent developments. Our second thought is another question: what is the cost of a good Dell computer running Linux? Our third thought: are we being too hasty in seeing only negatives here? Is there a real vision spelled out here which could, in fact, be the next real Amiga? That IS a possibility ... I think ... We like to give everyone a fair chance. So, you'll get a real editorial in the near future, after we digest this, but not tonight. However, we bring you a second story that may be of interest to some. Nothing seems to come easily for us, does it? Brad Webb, Editor ---------------------------------------------------------------------- T H E P R E S I D E N T S P E A K S . . . September 14, 1999 TO: THE AMIGA COMMUNITY Thanks for your notes and comments about our plans for Amiga. In the past couple weeks, we've received hundreds -- if not thousands -- of emails and messages from loyal Amigans worldwide, many of you expressing a concern about Amiga's future based on recent reports in the media and in numerous chat rooms. I am so impressed with the spirit and passion of this great community and I wanted to make sure I told you that. The fact is... to borrow from Mark Twain... the reports of Amiga's death have been greatly exaggerated. To that end, I wanted to provide a little more detail about our plans for Amiga... both as a product and as a company, and hopefully clear up any confusion that exists. First, I hope you'd agree that Amiga was never about a box. It was never about an operating system either. Sure those things were part of what made the original Amiga great, but at its heart, Amiga was simply about a better way. Amiga was ahead of its time. Amiga promised to change the world. It ran against conventional wisdom and was better than anything out there at the time. In fact, we could all argue that it's still better than anything out there. The ideals and spirit of that original Amiga are alive and well today. But to limit Amiga to just one box, one product, one OS, is to keep Amiga from ever seeing its full potential. Think about it.... The original Amiga never did really reach its full potential despite its technical advantages and its cost and ease of use advantages. Why? Because it never became ubiquitous. The company's early vision was probably too limited for the vast potential that Amiga offered. The original Amiga was all about multi-media, so why not have Amiga running on every type of device imaginable, on top of every other OS out there? That's the beauty of Amiga and where we are as an industry. We're in the midst of a revolution unlike anything the world has seen, and Amiga has never been better positioned to change that world and make a bigger impact. Limiting Amiga to just one box and one OS at this point would be like offering the world a better horse and carriage at the dawn of the automotive age. Amiga and its revolutionary spirit deserve better than that. Amiga is going to produce software technology that will enable Internet services on an emerging category of products commonly referred to as "Information Appliances". It is an exciting new mega trend in the industry and we are excited about being at the forefront of this next great wave in computing history. In addition, we have decided to work with business partners who will deliver our software technology on their systems, rather than enter the hardware business directly. So long live Amiga, but if you think that Amiga was just a box, you've missed the point. Amiga is about a better way. In the coming weeks and months, we promise to keep you posted on progress against our plans for Amiga, and we thank you for your continued support. Let's work together to enable Amiga to revolutionize the industry and change the world! Long live Amiga, Thomas J. Schmidt President & C.E.O. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- A N A L T E R N A T I V E ? 14 Sept., 1999 == THE PHOENIX PLATFORM CONSORTIUM == We are pleased to announce the acceptance of provisional charter for the Phoenix Platform Consortium. Phoenix signatories believe it is time to place our destiny back in the hands of folks who understand what the Amiga is all about. You will notice members of the original Jay Miner team within our ranks. Unlike other new entities we will not field questions from newsgroups, mailing lists, or in email, nor will we be erecting a marketing facade to false hopes. Results and honest direction are our mandate. The Phoenix Platform Consortium will assume responsibility for aid and recommendation for reference platforms for the Amiga users who wish to upgrade their present Amigas, as we establish an open migration path to a new platform. That platform will in spirit and in feel be a new Amiga experience while incorporating and surpassing the features found on the desktop elsewhere today. More information will be posted when we have facts to present. Please do NOT email the participants in curiosity. We ask for your patience in this matter. Please respect the wishes of the participants named below. There is much to do and we have just begun. As information becomes available it will be posted on mailing lists, newsgroups, and at the following website: http://owlnet.net/phoenix/ which will be up shortly. This announcement is freely repostable. Thanks, from the Phoenix Platform Consortium, currently: Alan Crandall JMS Alan Swithenbank Stanford Comp Systems Lab Albert Bailey Flying Mice Andy Finkel Met@box Aron Digulla AROS Bart G Colbert BG Colbert Berardino Baratta MetroWerks Bill Bull QNX Bill McEwen Amino Bohdan Lechnowsky REBOL Bruce Ellsworth AmiTrace/ACSVideo Carl Sassenrath REBOL Christian Kemp ANN Clash Bowley Flying Mice Dan Dodge QNX Daryl Low QNX Internship Dave Cook GuruMeditationError Dave Haynie Met@box dinglis QNX Don Cox Don Cox Computer Productions Drew S Tarmey IAT Manufacturing Dr Greg Perry GPSoftware Ed MacKenty MacKenty Software Services Eric Herget Ki Networks Fleecy Moss Amino Frank Friesacher QNX Fred Wright The Wright Solution Gary Peake Team AMIGA/OwlNet Geert Bevin Thunderstorms/The Leaf Giorgio Gomelsky JMS Glenn Davidson Cloud Media G'o'tz Ohnesorge greenboy Phoenix Hal Greenlee HardDrivers Holger Kruse Nordic Global Igor Kovalenko Motorola iDEN Joanne Dow Wizardess Designs Joe Gulizia SCOLA Johan Rönnblom John Shepard Kevin Lowe BrainDrops Kevin Tiernan Elfnet Marc Albrecht A.C.T. Mario Charest Zinformatic Mario Saitti Phoenix Marko Seppänen Visual Engineer Martin McKenzie CADTech Matt Sealey U of Leicester Michael Battilana Cloanto Mick Tinker Access Odd H Sandvick Olaf Barthel logical line GmbH Paul Lesurf Blittersoft Paul May Phoenix Paul Nolan Paul Nolan Ltd Ray Akey HMetalsoft/ZenMetal RJ Mical Mical.org Robert Krten PARSE/Cisco Ron Liechty MetroWerks Rudi Chiarito Magrathea Development Samuel A Falvo II Dolphin Shaun Sauve QNX Stephane Desrosiers Stephen Jones Siamese Systems Steve Tomkins QNX Tobias Abt Picasso 96 Vegard Berget Wolf Dietrich phase 5 Interested developers may contact greenboy [greenboy@bigsky.net] with a post titled Dev Database «your name» and with the following information in the body 1. Name 2. Company 3. Email@ 4. Developer Category A. Hardware B. Software C. Beta tester D. Marketing/Support Functions E. Internet-oriented development 5. Development Description (ie specialties - video, office suite, etc) A. Current Projects B. Past Projects 6. Platforms currently involved ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Amiga Update on the net: All back issues available at: http://www.globaldialog.com/~amigaupdate/index.html Stop by and check out our archive! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 1999 by Brad Webb. Freely distributable, if not modified. ====================================================================== _ __ _ <>_ __ _ A M I G A /\\ |\ /|| || / ` /\\ A M I G A U P D A T E /__\\ | \ / || || || ___ /__\\ U P D A T E / \\_ | \/ ||_ _||_ \__// / \\_ amigaupdate@globaldialog.com ======================================================================