| From: | Aaron Ruscetta |
| Date: | 1 Aug 2000 at 16:58:16 |
| Subject: | Re: AMIOPEN: Amiwest news / new SDK |
My reading of Bill McEwens announcements at AmiWest was a bit
of a Zen experience; real Yin/Yang, except without the symetry.
Comment seemed both important and pertinent, but if you disagree you
can send this (along with all flames) to: <bitbucket@null.com>
> The following news tidbits are coming straight from Bill McEwen,
> courtesy of UGN's live audio feed from the show:
> The SDK is selling better than forecasted. Amiga have been in contact with
> numerous major consumer electronics and software companies, including
> (straight quote) "every major gaming company out there". Many of these
> already possess the SDK. Interest from major companies particularly picked
> up after Bill's two recent TV appearances.
Cool, and better than forecasted sales don't surprise me given the
nature of the communities that have been enlisted by Amiga Inc. so
far.
Unfortunately, I find this and all the other upbeat news announced at
AmiWest being pulled off balance by a big black hole on the event
horizon...
> A version of the SDK for Windows will be made available next month.
I find this a most untimely and disturbing announcement. As any
student of this industry's monopolist physics can demonstrate, it
won't take long for the windows vacuum to suck away all the light
that's been shared with Amiga so far. Any concession to the monopoly
corruptions at this stage of Amiga development seems hugely premature
and remains, despite all fronts and assurances, a drain on resources
and a serious contradiction to the alternative community commitments
that Amiga Inc. has so successfully stated, solicited and exploited to
date.
The first obvious and unavoidable result of this action will be the
destruction of the market for the alternative Developer Systems. It
seems in keeping with an Amiga corporate tradition of sepuku that this
is announced just as the DevBox systems are actually becoming
available. What motivation is there for buying a DevBox now? Why
would anyone get off the couch to invest the extra money and energy
needed to view the alternatives, when Amiga Inc. is broadcasting that
they should just lay back, punch the remote and join all the other
potatos on the monopoly shopping channel?
Again in the Amiga marketing tradition, the first ones left slashed
and bleeding from a premature windows releases will be that tenacious
but waivering handful of remaining Amiga dealers; especially the ones
who had placed trust in the new AI's stated alternative focus and
invested in distributing the Developer Systems.
Of course, once you point the sword the wrong direction, you have to
start applying bandages, with the common result of adding more gashes
in the process. An example may be the sudden announcement, just a
couple of weeks prior to AmiWest, that the $1000 "Trailblazer"
Developer registration would be included with the Linux DevBox
systems. Perhaps an attempt to patch the critical wound from a windows
SDK release would exlain why such a nasty cut was delivered to all the
committed developers who had already invested in the Linux SDK release
and/or compatible systems to run it on. (I guess we caught the
bleeding edge literally this time... but the choice seemed a lot more
productive than waiting indefinitely for the DevBox offering to
arrive.)
I think the theme from Mash was way off: suicide is never a painless
proposition. ;-)
The only thin ray of light that has escaped the black hole so far is
Gary Peake's follow up announcement that a Stand Alone SDK is close to
release as well. Of course, any windows release within 6 months of
this will overshadow that pretty completely. Why the stand alone SDK
and OE releases aren't the ONLY focus of AI at present is beyond me.
> Red Hat will start selling the SDK next week. Also Sun have started using
> Amiga software to demo Java stuff.
Cool! Very encouraging demonstrations of commitment from the essential
partners AI has brought on board! That is, if the light here escapes
the gravity well.
> There are going to be public beta releases of the OE prior to release.
That will be excellent... if...
> There is going to be an Amiga IPO.
I have to think that these IPO plans are still scheduled for a ways
down the road. Besides the huge risks associated with an immature
company jumping into the volatile IPO arena, Bill McEwen has
indicated that he may need to step down from running the show at that
time. He seems to me to be the most positive, reliable and consistent
voice in the mix and he needs to keep standing where he is for a good
while longer (as who've seen him in action here seem to agree).
> Paul Nolan is now doing contract work for Amiga.
Cool. Paul is sharp and has stuck it out with Amiga work for a long
time. Dedicated people are the only essential ingredient of success.
> More on the license issues: No software developers will be forced to pay
> royalties. Voluntarily, they can sign up for a certification program, which
> will give their products an official Amiga "badge" and the chance to have
> their product marketed by Amiga themselves. This will cost them $1.50 per
> sold item.
Reason prevails! (well, at least in the licensing plan:)
I find it most encouraging that the licensing process has been so
significantly revised. I know more than a few developers were ready to
say forget it or were not even considering AmigaNG unless something a
whole lot more practical, affordable and realistic came forward. After
reading the "fine print" license details that came in the SDK, I was
about convinced to pack it up and move on, too.
> Amiga will start offering low-cost promotional merchandise to
> user groups.
Great! The user groups are struggling and need all the help they can
get. Of course, low cost beta OE releases and maybe a couple OE
systems to demo will be a whole lot better... ;-)
> At the show, Amiga were showing off an ARM-based touchscreen unit,
> running the new OE. The design is by none other than Mick Tinker,
> and it's not being sold commercially yet.
> Backwards compatibility to the Classic Amiga from the new OE will
> be dealt with by something that "is not an emulator".
Still more cool news! Hope all the plans manage to shine though the
looming dark anamoly.
/* AArexx AAron */
/* (comment required) */
options RESULTS
ADDRESS 'aaron@pd.org'
I can see the Burma Shave road signs for AmigaNG now:
"--> Keep Going This Way -->"
"--> so You Can Help Pay -->"
"--> for All of Black Billy Gate's lawyers!"
<wink>
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