Amiga

[gidgit]

Hi Bob...

So the latest has Amiga1.5 running os4.2 soon to be os5...but in all reality, I see DE paving the way in that it will run ontop of more platforms and thus bring about more users than would a straight Amiga os...

Yup, my 1200 tower will support the latest efforts but in all reality one would really be further ahead just buying the latest hardware complete...then it boils down to nescessity...ya see Bob, I was a hardcore Amigian up to about four years ago, then I made the jump over to PC land...sure it took a while to get adjusted, to sort through all the crap in order to find the right tools for the job, and yes it is frustrating to have to use several apps to get the same effects as DPaint alone would enable, but, the bottom line is...in order for me to commit towards the Amiga way again I would really have to see it to believe it... [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif[/img]

Things have really progressed in the PC world, and with this in mind one has to really consider just what one needs...what will the end result be for...is it digital graphics? animation? web developement? or perhaps simply for recreational learning via surf'n the world...

All of these things can be done very easy with the right apps running on the Windows platform, and very quickly to boot...keeping in mind of course that regardless of the platform, it's really just bits of information processed...and processing is quicker with my celery than my Amiga was by a long shot...PPC? If I was to grab one it would be for Mac related stuff rather than Amiga...and for now, I truly do not have the need for either...

I have tried a ton of different apps and have nailed down a tool set that I find will enable me to do most anything I require in order to create for print, disk and or for the web...


My favorite image editor is Photo Impact, for 3D text I like either Real Draw Pro or Simply 3D, for animation I like Swish 2 for flash stuff and Cinema 4D for 3D stuff as well Rhino for modeling, I use Namo Web Editor along with Photo Impact for web related tasks, and then I use several handy little tools for other tasks such as Snag It for screen/region captures and Gif Animator for the obvious...I also have Photo Shop for printing stuff and... I have Painter Classic but it really doesn't get much use...and thats it, oh and Office and Acrobat Reader of course...

I used to have a ton of apps on my machine, but found that things slowed down quite so now I stick with perhaps fifteen apps and have things patched and tweaked to the point where I very rarely if ever suffer any problems...I run Win 98 SE and find it to be very stable...I have heard many horror stories about this os, but all in all I love it...I believe that it is more the hardware that causes the problems than anything else, well that and drivers... [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

I had a P111 667 and the same programs bla bla, and experienced many problems, soooo, I sold it back to the place I bought it from, took a slight loss, put the hard drive back into my 266 celery and voila...problem free...is it the lack of L2 cache? the different chipset? I really don't know, but this little baby is one steady little performer... [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

TIP( check the battery if your machine acts up unusual like [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img] $3 and all is well once again )

Oh I suppose that should the os's and all within go virtual 3D then I will be forced to upgrade, but until then...this baby is mucho faster than the ole 020 Amiga, and the programs I use will allow for more creativity than I will ever know...soooo, in closing, I am a happy camper...besides, as someone once told me, some people can do more with a stubby pencil and a napkin than many can do with the fastest machines and best programs...

[img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

[Bob C.]

For those looking here and wanting the background of this tread about the new Amiga platform go to the 3D Graphics Forum here:
http://talkgraphics.infopop.net/1/Op...1&m=5801948024 and look at the bottom of the first page where I list a number of URL’s about the new Amiga

Hello gidgit:

Your certainly right about the stubby pencil, there isn’t any substitute for talent. I also agree with you about Windows continuing to improve. Win2K and XP seem very good (well XP still appears to need some tweaking) but I’m mostly concerned about .net.

It continues to amaze me the number of people that have been exposed to the Amiga platform.

Interesting tip about the Windows98 SE being very stable and the battery being a source of trouble. I don’t think the battery is an issue because I had a motherboard failure about 4 months ago and because the AMD CPU was slotted I couldn’t easily just replace the mother board and reuse the CPU so I replaced both and ended up with and AMD 1.7 gig CPU - the slowest one in the shop! Its a fast machine and I’m guessing it should help with 3D rendering (if I ever get there). BTW I’m running Windows98 first edition but have the latest MS upgrades etc.

You seem to have a fair amount of resources invested in Windows apps. and I certainly am in the same boat too. I kick my self every time I think about the large investment I made over time in the wonderful Amiga stuff and practically gave it away. Especially now that the “Classic� software be emulated on a PC and can be run along with the new Amiga OS software.

So I’m sitting and watching just what the new Amiga does but I’m very open to getting back to the “Whiz Bang� assuming the new one has it!

Bob C.

[gidgit]

Hi Bob, well I havta admit, it will be most interesting to watch it all unfold...I don't really anticipate ever venturing into the .net scene myself, and most probably will not even go as far as XP...what I have does the trick for now and if voice recognition and/or advanced macros or the like, become a funtionality issue, well, I will most certainly look at the other platform options first...if all else goes the same course then this kiddo will retire out to the garden to create in real life... [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

I eagerly await the new Amiga technologies, though will watch from the sidelines unless of course the technologies unfold a set of tools that are a total must to have even for a hobbiest such as myself...and of course the price must be right...I suppose the biggest question I have surrounding the new Amiga is: what software is going to be supported...is New Tech going to write new stuff for this platform? Is EA going to write a new paint program, or some games ? Is Caligari or Maxon going to write for the Amiga?
Adobe?.......I have heard that Star Office will be there, and it is also suggested that Corel will be there, though with Corel I really don't know...They were writing their own Linux stuff before too, but things change and now they have stopped writing the Linux stuff...makes one wonder if they will go through towards the Amiga/Linux area.....I guess we will all simply have to wait and see what truly unfolds...

wait, wait, wait and see, this is the course to date with this newest of platforms...I suppose though, the wait may be worth it if the newest is as good for these days as the classic was for yesteryear, and so long as they too do not adopt the latest M$ strategies... [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

Have fun Bob...Did ya manage to get anything going with the Strata scene?

[Bob C.]

Hello gidgit,

Interesting comment you made about voice recognition. Do you use it to “write� these posts? I’m guessing you don’t because your use of the cyber shorthand “havta� would not be allowed, unless you can put in your own rules? (I’m not a programmer).

I was impressed with voice recognition advances but the machine I had at the time would have been barely adequate for the task, not an issue now.

My thoughts on the software issue using a new platform (Amiga) would be handled by running two system networked together.

I used my Amiga for animation and video capture output to VHS and would show these silly “movies� to friends and family - great fun!

I was asked to make a presentation at work to justify being given a fairly large budget and the responsibility to manage it. The company was newish and filled with very bright young people (I was the old man there) and everybody had a computer (all Macs) on his/her desk (no secretaries except for the president).. This was a radical departure back then. Instead of a boring talk with only charts etc. I made a 3.5 min. Full Screen Animation mixed with facts and humor that blew them away!

All the Mac heads were shocked and couldn’t believe I made it and it was made on an Amiga! I got the money - completed the project and got a 5 year run out of it dealing with the benefits of that project. Ahhh those were the days!

I did and still do make presentation for my local parish church 3 or 4 times a year and would make a custom video for them as well. It worked very well as a teaching tool.

When I reluctantly changed platforms I had to start all over again. What pain, not to mention the additional expense, most of it was built in to the Amiga. The software was not as good back then and more expensive on the PC with crashes etc. My old PC video card doesn’t work well with the new hardware and it has all changed now with Firewire and USB 2.0.

Soooo if the new Amiga has good video stuff - I’m there. I can use the PC for the mundane stuff and choose from the HUGE selection of software, i.e. Xara etc. But if this “write once - run everywhere� thing works for the Amiga it might just be a matter of (short) time before the software choice gets huge for it as well.

The Strata stuff: I was on retreat most of the weekend so I haven’t played with it yet but I’m hoping to get to it later today. You folks have piqued my interest. Thanks!

Bob C.