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Ibrowse 2.key.lha3/19/2024 A tendency in the user community is to tolerate the shortcomings of Windows, yet blame the Amiga for any failings, regardless of their source. If the user purchased the recommended commodity hardware, there is the matter of various components that may have compatibility issues. Commodity x86 vendors have no interest in supporting a non MS operating system. Hyperion cannot afford to support users whose problems lie in their choice of hardware. Since users could substitute commodity x86 systems for Eyetech's system, there will be a number of users that refuse to purchase 'recommended' components, then express complaints when OS4 wonÕt function. Another issue is will the selected motherboard be available in a year?ĭealers too, would be forced to compete on the razor thin margins of the PC industry, and any extra OS4 support issues could make that course unattractive. Designing their own motherboard would be uneconomic. Eyetech would be unable to recover their costs through the sale of x86 systems, as they are commodities that can be purchased anywhere. Eyetech and Hyperion would have to select a specific x86 configuration, from many commodity x86 motherboard/processor combinations available. Going x86 would make it difficult for Eyetech and Hyperion to recover their R&D costs. Eyetech can reduce cost by being the only purchaser of a production run, instead of a number of smaller, more costly jobs ordered by several suppliers. To run OS4, you must purchase the system as offered by Eyetech. With Eyetech as sole supplier of a reference PowerPC system for Hyperion's Amiga OS4, support costs are confined to a specific system, not any number of generic x86 combinations. Motorola, like Intel, had their reasons for choosing their architecture's features. If memory addresses don't align correctly, it is easy to crash the system. In the case of the Amiga OS, memory access is important. There are also issues on the way they access memory. The Most Significant Bit and the Least Significant Bit are swapped. A majour difference between the 68k and the x86 is the way the data is aligned. The software, especially file formats, were designed to take advantage of the CPU's architecture. The entire system was designed around the 68000 and it's support chips. But the others may have been rejected for cost and performance reasons too. The 68008 was an 8 bit CPU, so the reason is simple. For some reason the 68008, 010, and 012 were not chosen. Later CBM models continued to use the 68000, and in time the 020/030 and 040 versions. The Motorola 68k series was chosen by the Amiga's original designers. One of the goals was to make a system where the user could run well written 68k software titles, and any software written for PPC accelerator cards. With limited time and money, this is important. The PPC was in part designed by Motorola, maker of the 680X0 processors used in the Amiga. Selecting the PPC reduces transition costs and time to market. Executing old PPC enhanced software is easier. Software can be optimized for the reference platform. Costs are reduced by narrowing the hardware possibilities. With Eyetech selecting a PowerPC design, there is a reference platform for OS4. Hyperion lacks the resources to test and support X^n combinations of motherboards, processors, and chipsets available today on the commodity x86 market. The rational for moving the next generation Amiga hardware to PowerPC architecture are primarily economic. The AmigaOne was developed outside the confines of Amiga Inc., yet has been approved by Amiga Inc. Intel derived hardware raises issues of support costs and financial return for the vendor.Ī replacement platform for the AGA Amiga. Running on Intel hardware will jeopardise the viability of OS4 by placing it into direct competition with Windows. The economic well being of the Amiga market demands a system that is not in direct competition with the Wintel world. If you appreciate this site please consider to IntuitionBase - Your Guide To AmigaOS4.x And The AmigaOne
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