| From: | Martin Baute |
| Date: | 5 Aug 2000 at 12:14:19 |
| Subject: | Re: AMIOPEN: To Windoze or Not to Windoze (was: reply to Gary) |
Hello Jean-Pierre
On 05-Aug-00, you wrote:
> -all the positive coverage Ami got because of running on Linux (and no
> doubt got a lot
> of Linux programmers interested in doing something with/for Ami)
Imagine how positive the response would be if the host OS doesn�t
matter.
> -The fact that a basic Linux installation is tres simple to do in parallel
> with a Windoze
> installation for those bored Windoze developers that may want to try it
> (a linux magazine plus an hours work gives you an installation capable of
> running the SDK)
If you have the hard drive space, necessary tools to _make_ this space,
the permission to do so (not to be taken for granted), and if you care
enough
to face the hassle. How much easier to just install another program on the
OS you are working on anyways?
And, perhaps not for you and me, but for many people, Linux is a *bitch*
to configure.
> -The fact that the Amiga Active editor praised Amiga for choosing Linux as
> the underlying OS
> for the devbox, more or less saying 'god knows what would have happened
> if they chose Windoze'
Yes, for the DevBox it�s good, so people don�t have to pay extra for
Windows. But, for those who _have_ their system? 99%+ of all PCs
come with Windows pre-installed. How do you make room for a Linux
installation if you have little knowledge about partitioning, and you don�t
happen to have a pirate copy of Partition Magic around?
> -The fact that like Aaron pointed out, anyone really committed to doing
> truly great innovative
> things would have no problem playing with an alternative OS...
What about the people who are not "really committed", but want to give
it a try first?
> and that
> having the SDK running
> on an unreliable OS (as everyone here can testify, Linux is rock-stable in
> comparison) is
> going to negatively influence ppl's perception of Ami's NG products....
Everybody knows Windows is not rock-solid, and is used to Windows
crashing.
It�s just as easy to make the intent_shell bomb out under Linux by calling
the wrong tool. It doesn�t even generate an error message that�s any help.
And face it, Linux isn�t perfect either.
> -The support for developing under Linux is only know getting properly
> started - time spent
> on the SDK for Windoze will destract from valuable time that could be
> spent on getting the
> real hardcore/early adopting developers that will make the real difference
> going strong...
And again, they want to make Ami run on a variety of host OS. This
means they have to build the architcture to run on Windows anyways.
If they do it now for the SDK, or later for Ami, doesn�t really matter,
does it? Aside from proving it�s possible, and making usage of the SDK
that much easier for people who know Linux by the name only.
> Please bare in mind that this is comment comming from someone that runs
> windows
> alongside Linux - I'm no huge Linux fan by a long way
dito. ;-)
> Perhaps a high level of support for those few essential to Amiga plans
> would help.
I think attracting Windows *companies* is _very_ essential to Amiga plans.
As Bill said in Neuss, Amiga cannot afford to do all the porting (RealVideo,
RealAudio, this-plug-in, that-plug-in etc. etc.) themselves, they have to
be so attractive that the owning companies _themselves_ do the Ami port.
Go tell Real that they have to make a Linux install first to port their
product
to your new, upcoming, unknown, irrelevant OS. They�ll laugh their heads
off.
> Perhaps it would be prudent to kick up the priorty for Native SDK and
> Superbly supported
> Linux development before catering to the laggards that are Windoze
> developers?
Windows developer != bad developer.
> No offence to the open-source ppl here that have stated here they would
> like a Windoze
> based SDK, but then there are those that want Linux-PPC and that's
> obviously not
> seen as a priority here either.
Well, compare installed systems base for Windows vs. Linux PPC...
> Don't know if these ramblings make sense, no need to reply either, but I
> did feel there
> was a need to underline Aaron's comments.
Granted, but no need to cite them whole.
But, bottom line, nothing new has been said by either side. I am confident
Amiga Inc. heard our points. It�s up to them to decide, it�s their money
after all. They know who the potential partners are. Personally, I am
beginning to like Linux more and more every day, but I would *really*
like to be able to show my coleagues and friends the merits of the SDK
without having to install Linux on their systems first.
Regards
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