amiga-news.de - Fortnightly Q&A's mit Fleecy Moss

29.Feb.2004
amigaworld.net (Webseite) Fortnightly Q&A's mit Fleecy Moss - Runde 28
Das englischsprachige Online-Magazin AmigaWorld hat die Folge 28 der zweiwöchentlichen Fragen und Antworten an und von Fleecy Moss, CTO bei AMIGA, Inc., veröffentlicht (Update, 15.03.2012, cg: Meldung um das eigentliche Interview ergänzt, da das ursprüngliche Dokument nicht mehr verfügbar ist):

1) alx: In a windowing environment, it can often be hard to find the window you want. Windows has the taskbar and MacOS has a new feature where you can press a key to reveal all windows, and click one to bring it to the front. When the time comes to replace Workbench, will a solution to this problem be included in the OS?

Fleecy: One of the AG2 projects is looking at the entire interaction question. In effect we have a blank canvas on which to create a new solution and so we are going to take our time and look at the very foundation of interaction - the nature of the virtual environment and how a human represents, observes and manipulates within it.

With that said, it is difficult to answer such a specific question. Both the solutions mentioned above are there to allow for refocusing of activity within the environment, something that is obviously very important if the solution is to be useful. We are currently considering many options, including an activity based architecture and a separation between virtual and interactive environments, allowing for a more scalable and configurable system.

2) alx: Would you say that the AmigaOS implementation of “screens” needs changing since modern graphics cards cannot support some of the tricks the custom chipset allowed? Or will screen-dragging somehow be re-implemented again later?

Fleecy: Screens need to be considered as a functional solution to an interaction issue, namely that of separating activity out into independent, discrete components. This itself is part of the wider question that is being addressed as I mentioned in the first question.

As for the implementation of screens, whilst current hardware may not implement those tricks, the increases in the power and capability of hardware as we move forwards will be more than capable of providing such a solution should it be required.

3) Atheist: Since AmigaDE is a "virtual processor", what if a real processor was made that runs those commands? Would it run considerably faster, not having to be emulated? Also, when AmigaDE becomes more successful, was this ever considered to be done (say, a custom CPU placed on a PCI card).

Fleecy: The virtual processor solution creates native binaries for execution and so the cost of supporting virtualisation isn't as severe as it may first appear. That being said, a processor supporting the virtual architecture could be created and would obviously run faster but not by that much. However this would lose the chief benefit of the VP concept, which is to allow it to quickly adapt to and cover multiple and costly to develop physical processors.

4) samo79: Can AmigaOS 4.0 support in the near future, combination key like ctr+c for copy and ctr +v for past selection?

Fleecy: Workbench comes with its own set of defined shortcuts. AG2 will consider the concept of semantic mapping, in which any set of events can be used to trigger a response. This will become important for example when considering scalability across different device classes where different physical input sets exist but where the virtual environment requires a single action - for example a play or a fire action. This could be used to allow the user to link any set of physical input events to a single emitted action, which would provide the solution you require.

5) Asemoon: Will USB pendrives, flashdrives, memory sticks work without installing additional software like with newer versions of Linux?

Fleecy: It depends what you mean by work? The idea is to support such devices as transparently as possible so that users don't have to rummage around looking for driver disks or websites containing the required software. However that is as much an issue of the hardware/software standard for these devices as it is for an implementation within our platform.

6) ssolie: The price of new AmigaOS 4.0 hardware (i.e. AmigaOne) is a large obstacle for many future users. What initiatives are underway that will bring the cost of AmigaOS 4.0 compatible hardware down to a more affordable level for these people?

Fleecy: The AmigaOne price is set by Eyetech and any actions to reduce it will come from Eyetech. Obviously this is dependent upon many factors, currency volatility, resource and component prices as well as being able to cut down cost via integration and, of course, increasing the size of orders to gain any economies of scale.

Eyetech are the first licencee for AmigaOS4.0 but as we move forwards, we will be looking for other licencees to join the platform, introducing competition, one of the best ways of driving price down.

7) vortexau: Has any thought been given to having iTunes licenced from Apple?

Fleecy: We have made enquires to many solution providers, not just those providing media playback. Most of them either want to see a big market or a big wheelbarrow full of cash. As was said in the last CAM, we know that AmigaOS4.0 is a foundation for moving forwards and that the house itself is a bit bare at the moment. Licencing existing solutions is an option but one has to be careful that we don't just end up looking like a hodge podge collection of solutions that exist on other platforms. It is AS important if not more so to look for what people need and to see if we can create something better.

8) JCC: We know that advertising will focus first on the Amiga community, which is certainly the most efficient plan at this time. However, many journals in the computer/IS/IT field include announcement columns. Are there plans to have an OS4.0 release announcement in the likes of DDJ "Of Interest", and CUJ "New Products"?

Fleecy: We will not be quiet when it comes to announcing the birth of AmigaOS4.0 but we must also be careful not to make too much of this announcement, exposing our solution to scrutiny when it is not ready for the mass market.

9) ssolie: Is it true that the "MicroA1" is named that way because Eyetech do not have a proper license to call it an AmigaTwo or similar?

Fleecy: I don't know why Eyetech chose that name. They only have a licence to the name 'AmigaOne' at the moment.

10) JCC: Do you have in information on OS4 virus susceptibility? Is OS4 so different that it is mostly immune to the current batch, or should we keep our present virus scanners/killers?

Fleecy: As with any operating system, and especially one that has a single and open address space, AmigaOS4.0 will always be susceptible to virus attack. It will be much more robust than its predecessors but there is still a lot of work to do to make it as stable as we want.

(Copyright © 2004 Amigaworld.net. All rights reserved.
Originally available at http://amigaworld.net/modules/fleecymoss/index.php?cat_id=29
You may freely redistribute this article, providing that a URL is provided to the original source,
and the copyright notices remain intact) (cg)

[Meldung: 29. Feb. 2004, 17:27] [Kommentare: 8 - 01. Mär. 2004, 22:57]
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