#We need patience.
23 messages in this thread
We can talk about how long the liquidation is taking. We can talk about
conspiracies. We can talk about the Amiga being a dead machine. But the
simple facts are none of us knows what CEI and/or Amiga International are
planning. None of us knows for sure how much longer the liquidation is going
to take. And none of us can tell the future with any degree of accuracy.
All we can do is wait. Or not. Ask yourself, "Is my Amiga serving my needs?"
"Will it still serve my needs in 6 months?"
If the answer to either of these questions is no, then its time for you to
start shoppping for a new computer. If the answer is yes, then you can wait
until the liquidation is completed, and see what happens. If the Amiga
ultimately fails, then you lose nothing unless it no longer serves its purpose.
If it is sucessfully re-launched, then you will be rewarded for your patience.
Either way, the situation is completely out of our control.
And just to show that I'm putting my money where my mouth is, I just recently
purchased a CD32 with the Network CD. This provides me with entertainment,
access to tons of PD utilities, and even allows me to run the odd AGA-only
game. (Over the SERNET network. It's VERY slow, but it works.) It serves my
needs well. It will probably still serve my needs 6 months from now. After
that? Time will tell. I'll either buy a brand new, next generation Amiga or
I'll have to settle for a PC. Until then I am very happy that I chose the
Amiga in the first place. It has been a very rewarding experience. And I can
say that I owned the two most revolutionary computers of their time. The Amiga
and the C64.
BTW, I also believe that all of us should be saving our energy to support
whoever comes out with the Amiga technology instead of railing against a
process that we have no power to influence.
Mark:
Well said. Even if the Amiga *is* dead, there's no need to dump it until it no
longer serves its purpose. I also agree that we have nothing to lose by
waiting a bit longer. While I'll admit I grow more worried about the Amiga's
future every day, that doesn't mean I have to give up a platform that continues
to serve my needs.
Besides, eventhough I had to buy a PC (running OS/2 Warp – they couldn't force
DOS/Windows on me) to be compatible with work, I fully intend to keep my trusty
A3000T around for a long time. It's still a great machine for a variety of
purposes and will remain so for some time.
Wayne
You all are right about keeping the Amiga running. As an example, those of use
who fly single-engine Cessna aircraft are about in the same boat: they haven't
been made in over a decade. Yet, we take care of what we have and keep in
touch with the vendors of used and third-party (after-market) parts. We really
don't care what Cessna does nor do we need to care.
Bruce
Comparing a Cessna to an Amiga is a bit like comparing apples to oranges.
Your Cessna and Amiga both still work. (True)
However, if they were not letting your Cessna land at any airport built or
modified for the last 10 years, or were not selling fuel compatible with
your Cessna in most locations you might feel a bit different.
Would you still hang on to your Cessna if you knew that you would have to
siphon fuel out of others tanks. (Buying used software)
Or if you could not land at certain airports, ever? (No software
available to do certain things.)
That is where our situation is rapidly headed. Even the "premier" Amiga
developers are having trouble. Soft-Logik is a prime example. While they
state that they were "forced" to release PGS 3.0 early, due to demand, the
software has been shipping for over 6 months with LARGE bugs. No software
is bug free, but in 6 months there hasn't been the development horsepower
to implement landscape printing on non postscript printers, among other
problems. Which leads me to conclude that their finances are such that
they cannot afford to hire a large enough development team to finish the
work.
Alex,
I don't know if you follow aviation at all, but every analogy you mentioned
regard fuel and airports is very true today. We pilots do work together,
though, sharing information in order to keep our planes flying in top working
order (FAA regs, you know).
It wasn't too long ago that the Porsche owners were commiserating along the
same lines. Few new products, no marketing or advertising, ignoring loyal
product supporters, . . .
Face it, there's quite a few of us who just aren't cut out for this least
common denominator world.
Bruce
Bruce,
One area where the Cessna-to-Amiga analogy breaks down is when you consider the
fact that there are lots of potential new computer options, but very few new
Cessna (or small aircraft) options. Hope that changes soon on both accounts.
Future Cessna Owner (I hope)
Jim Plant
Bruce & Jim,
Another problem with the Cessna-to-Amiga analogy is the spare parts
situation. If your Cessna's engine throws a rod (hopefully on the
ground!), you can find an A&P guy to fix it, even if he has to machine a
new part from scratch. You can't exactly do that with a broken Buster.
-Jim
MOS via Autopilot & Amiga
There _are_ some uniquely Cessna parts that just have to be found in the
salvage yards. I suspect Amigas will be kept flying the same way for awhile.
Bruce
Alex:
>> That is where our situation is rapidly headed.
You're right, of course. However, there will be enough "fuel" to run the
engines and "airports" to accomodate the landings of many "Amiga Cessna pilots"
for some time. Others will have to transfer to that "DOS/Windows/OS2/Mac/…
747" so they can land at DIA and pray for their luggage. 🙂
Wayne
Moreover, if your job consists in selling Cessnas for very particular flights,
land on only some airports, and you then realize there are no more Cessnas on
the market… What a feeling to know that the only replacement for your tiny
but damn convenient Cessnas are expensive and overweighted Boeings or Airbus…
Fred.
Frederic Botton from Paris, France
fbotton@cix.compulink.co.uk
Bruce, Your in luck! Cessna is going back into production with singles since
the product liability thing passed – at least that was the last rumor from
"hangin' in th hangar" sessions. I have a Piper, and we've been going through
one of these crazy bankruptcy things similar to C= (except that it was a Chap
11 and was supposed to include a sale of the company that, about 7 years later
hasn't happened after rumors, even offers from several well-suited companies.
Sound familiar? The differnce is that on their own Piper is now in the black,
has most of the piston singles in production again, a nice order backlog and is
actually about keeping up with parts orders.)
wmc – via Autopilot!
Things are looking up!
The only problem I see with waiting too long to move to another platform
is the re-sale value of my 4000. Right now, selling my 4000 with
WarpEngine, 32MB of ram, Spectrum, and Emplant would command a pretty good
price and I could probably get enough out of it to purchase a fairly good
Pentium or PowerMac. However, will that still be the case 6 months from
now, or a year? Right now my Amiga serves me well and I'll probably hold
on a few months to see what happens. But if I happen to start seeing the
4000 prices taking a dive, I'll dump this system while I can get enough
money out of it to purchase something else.
// John (Warp 4040 & Emplant Quadra 840)
\X/ Mercury@ins.infonet.net
John:
>> The only problem I see with waiting too long to move to another platform is
the re-sale value of my 4000.
That's a very valid concern for a lot of people. However, I've decided to keep
my Amiga forever. Sure, I'll buy other computers. But the Amiga stays. That
way I can just turn it on and calm myself down every time I get ready to throw
Brand-X computer out the window. 🙂
Wayne
That sounds like a very good idea… So far i havent had to shoot my Amiga, but
if i buy an MS-DOS machine i think i'll move my gun FAR away from my
reach…<G>
—Stephen—
===On AutoPilot 1.77–With Intel "All over my desk"===
ROFL!!!
I am sure that at least one of the three Amigas in my house will be with
us and in use for MANY years to come (but then, we still use our C-64 once
in awhile – since there was never an Amiga Print Shop). But your comment
about throwing Brand-X out the window hit a chord as I was recently VERY
reluctantly converted from a Mac IIci to a Dell 486 with Windoze at work –
and when people ask me how it's going I reply with the count of how many
times I've felt like throwing the Wintel box out the window!
Just got a card from EA in the the mail today offering to sell me D-Paint
V. I wonder if there will be an upgrade for less than $80!?!
Bernard Cawley
on Amiga AutoPilot from the Pacific Northwest
Bernard:
Yep! My Amiga will be around for quite a while. Dead or not, it's still a
good computer.
As for Brand-X, I recently bought a PC to be compatible with work. Fortunately,
everything I've needed runs under OS/2 Warp. Considering how much I dislike
Windows and detest Microsoft, I doubt I'll ever own a Windows-based system. It
would be against my religion! 🙂 My next "system of choice" will probably be
OS/2 on a PowerPC box. Who knows? It may beat Windows 9x to market!
Wayne (Team OS/2)
I've heard that MS is commited to the name Windows 95. (Not as per your
example 9x.)
However, I've also heard that it may be titles Windows 95+ or Windows 95++
by the time it makes it to market. <smirk>
Alex:
>> Windows 95+ or Windows 95++
<LOL> Actually, I think "WinEver" is the safest bet. 🙂
Wayne (Team OS/2)
Most computers aren't worth diddly squat a few years after you buy them. Yeah,
if you think you have to replace your Amiga in 6 months to a year, maybe you
would be better off doing it now because of the strange situation, but longer
than that and normal depreciation for any computer would be to move the value
close to zero.
dale@iam.com http://www.iam.com
Intangible Assets Manufacturing
You got that right. I picked up an Apple Lisa (forerunner of the Mac),
for $5 at a flea market. I don't really need a Lisa, but the idea of
buying a machine that originally cost somebody $10,000 for a mere $5 was
too tempting.
Hear hear!
My Amigas will continue to serve my needs for quite some time, and I can
afford to wait a while longer before I consider another computer. I can
upgrade the machines I have as long as there are others out there who also
continue to support this machine, and that will be for a long time to
come. I can continue to enjoy the machine for what it is, and even if I
eventually have to buy a new computer on some other platform, I will still
keep and use my Amiga! I love the machine and I like to believe that
others that have them do as well. It is not the time yet to throw out
your machine, but the time to make the most out of it. The people who are
using this situation as an excuse to abandon the platform now upset me,
but so be it. I myself can still use and will still use my machine for a
long time to come, and I can afford to wait with the others who still
believe the Amiga still has something to offer. It disappoints me that
things are taking so long to resolve, but I choose to stay here with the
group that will still be here if and when things are resolved that will
continue to support those who support our favorite machine! And if not
another Amiga is ever made again, I am damn glad I have mine!
David J. Miller—Via Autopilot
Well I'm glad to see there are others that feel the way I do. Incidentally,
here's one reason I believe that the Amiga will be picked up by someone, even
if it's not who we may think. The 3D-RISC chips that Commodore were working on
before they went belly up. If these chips are as powerful as they are said to
be (David Pleasance of C= UK says that they are faster then Nintendo's project
reality) wouldn't you think that somebody would be interested. Even if it were
just to use these chips in a game console. Of course this scenario means that
Amiga computers would be left out. But, the new owners (assuming they only
want to use the chips for this purpose) would probably be willing to allow
someone else to produce Amigas. And I think someone would be willing to do
this. Actually, I think that CEI or C= UK will win the bid and continue
production of Amigas. This scenario is just to show that even if they decide
not to buy Commodore outright they may be able to produce computers anyway.
Also on the subject of the 3D-RISC chipset, I think it may be a good move
for the new owners to finish and then sell this technology. Why? Because
people that know say that 3D-RISC will make a heck of a console, but is not
really suited to computer related tasks. AAA is much better for use in
computers. Since most of us are more interested in Amigas as computers and not
as game playing machines (at least not exclusively) this would be better for us
and for the new owners. I do think that a move to a HP-RISC processor would be
a good idea. If they could emulate a 68000 with it and utilize the AAA
chipset, this would allow backwards-compatibility. The 3D-RISC platform will
be completely incompatible with all current Amigas. I think that the real
reason that both of the suitors want to kill AAA is because it is much more
expensive to produce than 3d-RISC and won't allow them to produce the machines
as cheaply. This is important for a financially strapped company. But if they
sell 3D-RISC, they can then utilize these monies for development of AAA.
Just a thought :)………