AMIRAGE K2 - Analysis of market Amiga.

   Dear friends Amizhniki!

   In addition to our last announcement of cooperation with
by QNX Software Systems Ltd. and our new project
AMIRAGE K2, in this open letter will be discussed on a number 
of controversial issues that many of you have asked in those 
days. It contains My analysis of the Amiga market, objectives, 
Amiga International, and this situation that gave rise to our

decision on cooperation with QNX and the provision of 
alternative decisions in the future. If you are interested in 
those statements, I I recommend you read - especially if you're 
a developer look at them carefully.


   For starters, there is the question "why they did it, why 
they split the Amiga market, in all its incarnations - is often

combinable with the assumption that we want to steal the Amiga, 
"or become the Amiga itself. Responses to this are pretty 
simple: 1. We want to develop uncommon technology, which, as we

believe, has a spirit of genuine Amiga, or, in other words -
technology that would like to see so many creative
users. This includes hardware and software
innovations. We do not want to make considerable compromises
only to follow the main thread, or do something
that everyone else does.
2. Obviously, the plans Amiga Inc has no place for us. However, 
as and for many other developers, as I will outline below.


   We are just doing what we believe is
the right thing for our vision, technology
goals, which we follow, and also a convenient opportunity for 
business which we believe will be the best for our future.


   From our point of view, AI will develop and push
to market a product that has only one thing in common with
genuine Amiga - the name. Probably, they have several
good ideas (despite the fact that many details still
vaguely describes the most common words), but we did not
see a revolution here - just evolution, is the same
what you can now see in many places computer
industry.

   Despite the information available to us it seems obvious
Amiga Inc that makes Linux-based device that connects
JAVA technology and their extensions, called AmigaObjects. This
device to "deliver on the promises of the Information Age." This
wonderful, but there is also something else.

   I'm pretty confident that the revolution of which says Amiga
Inc - is the next revolution of the market when you can
sell "information appliances" the millions of people,
who are not computer users, but will
connected to the Internet, just as many years ago
connected to the telephone network. There is nothing wrong, but
what it will do with a computer Amiga? It seems to me the most
troublesome is the fact that here, obviously, there is no 
purpose to create something new, spectacular, unusual - because 
it's risky; Instead, the new product is expected to sell 
millions, that requires a lot of compromise and follow the main

flow.

   Also that the future product AI has to do with genuine Amiga
and her spirit? This may be a good product that will
buy a lot of people, but also good Palm Pilots, cell
phones, pleysteysheny, stereos, televisions, beer and
chocolates (I intentionally removed the Wintel-PC from this 
list). In Overall, there is nothing wrong with that, Amiga 
users say "It's a good thing, I'll go and I'll buy it," just as 
there is no nothing wrong with that users buying Amiga

Palm Pilots, cell phones, pleysteysheny, stereos,
TVs, beer and chocolate (I have removed ... well, you know what 
I mean).


   Amiga Inc did not communicate with us, phase 5, but the 
meeting during Jim Collas trip to Europe. Never since then has 
not been single letters, communications, any information to us. 
They do not support us with the NDA (nondisclosure subscription 
- prim.RDC) allowing them to tell us about their plans earlier, 
and supporting us in choosing our solutions. Instead, they want 
from us (where "We" also means a lot of other developers) to 
support "Amiga Classic" and following the route of PPC, but at 
this time going to cut it again. Honestly it in relation to

developers and users, supports the Amiga
their efforts and money? This gives a clear feeling that the AI
do not even think about what will happen to us. No attempt
partnership with us, so that no mutual loyalty is not to be
can.

   I do not know what had contacts with the rest of AI
existing developers. Many of them were surprised
recent statements, many do not like it, someone could this
rate - but even if so, do they think about their own
future? In particular, I think that recent statements by 
"contact with Corel "is an important message. Why do not we 
read" AI working closely with Haage'Partner for porting

AmigaWriter on AmigaNG "," AI chose ImageFX for sale together
with MCC "," AI and WorldFoundry announce two new 3D games
release of MCC "and similar statements?

   It's simple: AI to be "industry standards". As
how they use Linux, which would push them to
forward, they need big names such as Corel
for the same purpose. They do not need, for example, in phase 5 
as hardware companies to support their projects, and I almost

sure that they do not need software development for Amiga
their success. Jim Collas said in his "Response to Linux
feedback "the tenth of July:

     "I'm just not sure that we will be able to gain enough 
strength 

      without the use of Linux. Linux gives us a long

      access to new technologies and components as they

      produced (by the way, Linux still does not support AGP

      for PC - prim.RDC). With QNX we will release a new platfo
      OIM, but I'm not sure we can catch with it for the quick
      mi technological changes in the computer industry. "

   Does it follow then that all active developers
Amiga - who supported our platform so many
products and technologies that made the Amiga so far today
and fit - are assumed as unable to provide
necessary software technology for the new platform? I
sure what is meant exactly that. Jim Collas
showed concern over the possibility of success
business, if you have selected Linux. Clearly, cooperation with
Corel seems important for AI, and to support the success of
business. Who will be the next major partners involved in
segments on the new platform? Adobe? ID Soft? Who knows ...
Just a thought: if it turns out that Linux is not able to
push the platform to a sufficient extent, then, for the success 
of will be an important compatibility with Windows?


   Question to developers at Amiga: how do you like what AI
considers it important to attract big names to the new platform 
for providing technology / software, produce

which - as it seems - AI considers you incapable?

   And one more question, Amiga users: what is more important 
for you success (and the proportion of success?) company that 
owns the name "Amiga," or technology they provide to you?


   When the new AI MCC will sell millions, today's
Amiga community will not be any significant market. I
I think that the last thing finished devotion AI community,
will end the current commitment to developers. Same as I
entirely sure will happen with the few remaining dealers and
distributors. For the AI does not matter that they
supported the Amiga many years - will be a commercial success
require that the MCC to sell more companies. And all of
this: getting bigger, sell more, do more
money. All right - but loyal Amiga community, to
AI which drove the last few days before the BIG revolution, not
will be awarded. And while the AI agrees with a higher chance 
of small increase, together with the new generation Amiga

decrease with each passing day.

   From my point of view, there is no place for us - and I do 
not mean only phase 5, but most if not all current

Amiga developers - in terms of AI, and in the future, which
is going to create AI. It also means for us as
Companies: AMIGA-BUSINESS IS GONE. But with QNX, there
solution that will fulfill the promise of technological
excellence - and we here at phase 5, are able to provide
really advanced hardware, as well as concepts for
the future of computers.

   A small remark: that AI now calls a "revolution"
just a concept (and a bit of development) that we
planned three years ago. We had planned to separate from
Hardware distributed processing for a long time, and we
emphasized our vision applications or threads (see
as the "Service" or "objects" or "revolutionary object" or
"You-know-what-type object") that operate at different
CPU, processors or devices, somewhere in a box or on the 
network, and interact with all others. I do not want to say 
that AI may have some additional and new ideas, but if

they seem to you looking so revolutionary - Guess
what you see when you walk down the JAVA-level to the underlying
based on the level of software technology ...

   QNX Neutrino will write a fantastic software,
supporting similar revolutionary services, applications and
development. There is a new and exciting hardware
Technology for us - PPC G4, stunning technology Altivec,
processing of multimedia in many forms, and electronic
convergence "navrode proposed AI - we're talking about
high-performance solution, not the alloy cell phone
and the Palm Pilot - and all this together can be the basis for
excellent platform for all creative users, as
highlighted in our most recent statements. This may be
future that we create together - users, developers,
user groups and all others who support the Amiga. We
definitely need a union now, and the development of our
future, instead of waiting for BIG things from AI, we have been 
waiting for for three years. Takde And I ask you to define and 
express their position. I ask you, the developers, to show 
publicly your Support for QNX Neutrino, running on the 
PowerUP-boards, and buschuschey our series of computers AMIRAGE 
(and perhaps other iron from other developers, too ...). With 
thirteen years stories and experiences of the Amiga, I can only 
stress that the powerful Support for most users and developers 
for the Amiga new ways to create successful products, the most 
creative and stunning technology and a growing and valuable 
market in which all those who will now become the leaders of 
technology. We all survive on a shrinking market for so long 
and now we can decide whether we will begin starting in the 
future, where we sell technological superiority, and open up new

measurement, or do we want to get lost in the main stream
finally, in which we have engaged many years ago.

   Along the way, I deny the assumptions that we are going
split the Amiga market. We offer a product that AI is not
wants to offer - taking into account the features and pricing
position that our product can be initially not comparable with 
the Amiga MCC (despite the fact that we still have not heard 
about the prices at MCC). We follow the path that AI, 
obviously, left, and we to unite with the friends of the Amiga, 
users and developers, which AI is going to leave behind (can

be not such a purpose, but probably with the attitude of "I'm 
sorry, if you got a big wheel, which we hyped ").


   Also I will say a few words about our previous projects - A 
\ BOX and the pre \ box, in comparison with the new project 
AMIRAGE K2 (on the go case, we know that someone reads the 
title as the AMI-RAGE, someone as A-MIRAGE, but we a) do not 
have a problem with a small self-criticism, and b) recommend to 
pronounce the name in franzuzskom pronunciation). Many have 
criticized us for denigrating about the Vapor-BOXes and the 
like. It's true, we could not provide two products, while we - 
as opposed to all - at least provide leading technology

Amiga extensions, continuing the recent years, the difficult
market. Development of A \ BOX was followed by initial delays
development PowerUP. When PowerUP was completed, the market
The situation is much izimenilas since the Amiga was
sold to Gateway, and many computer users and people in the 
Amiga awaited Development and application of Amiga Inc. It was 
a logical choice stop the project A \ BOX, since we could not 
justify continued development and investment in this project. 
Later, in March 1998, we announced the pre \ box, a simple and 
easy to implement a single product, planned support

multiprocessing and a transition to the PPC, which received 
about license from the AI on OS 3.1. But soon after the 
announcement of pre \ box AI aonosirovali his new project, 
which was used instead of PPC a MMC chip, and this announcement 
is largely spoiled us business (as well as business and many 
other Amiga developers and companies). As a consequence, the 
development of pre \ box was suspended, and completely shut 
down later this year. I I think that it is clear that our 
chances to successfully implement the previous projects - that 
required the support of AI, developer support and community - 
were extremely low due to a number of external solutions. Now, 
with the development AMIRAGE K2, we are in a completely 
different situation, and use the operating system QNX Neutrino

allows us to focus on developing hardware, and
use the opportunities provided by modern silicon
technology, without the constraints and compromises. We assure 
you, that we can fulfill their promise at sunrise the next

Goals.
I would be happy to see you in the future.
Sincerely,
Wolf Dietrich
-------------------------------------------------- ------ Wolf 
Dietrich, GM phase 5 digital products wd@gf.phase5.de 
www.phase5.de 
-------------------------------------------------- ------     __

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 \ _ \ / By MOTOROLA [Russian AMIGA Masters]