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- Hi all,
-
- Here`s some depressing news about the Amiga but you all have to know at
- some stage...We have to take a stand. (See comments after)
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
- (The Australian Tue 24/03/98 - by John Sterilcchi)
-
- Almost a year to the day after its takeover by Gateway 2000, the future
- is still far from clear for PC manufacturer Amiga Computer and its cult
- technology.
-
- While the man charged by Gateway to exploit the technology says he has a
- continually changing vision, he is certain that Gateway will not
- manufacture new Amiga machines.
-
- And while they wait for that vision to be shared with the masses, Amiga
- fans say the rescue has not led to a resurgence in confidence among
- supporters.
-
- For example, take UK system builder Siamese Systems.
-
- Earlier this month, Siamese announced a development strategy to build an
- Amiga/Wintel clone.
-
- Its aim is "to bring the Amiga into the mainstream computer market to
- create a hybrid Amiga/Windows platform that can bring rewards to the
- Amiga owner by giving them access to low-cost PC components, and to the
- PC owner by bringing the richness of the Amiga software base".
-
- But before the comany completed development, Siamese managing director
- Stephen Jones wrote to the Amiga faithful to say he needed 500 orders
- with a down payment.
-
- "We have invested everything into this Amiga market, and cannot do it
- any longer unless there are people who are willing to order the
- product," he said.
-
- Mr Jones, who believes the Amiga "has one of the greatest operating
- systems and hardware designs ever," says users are holding back on
- investing in hardware until they see something happening at Amiga.
-
- Amiga is a research and development entity set up by Gateway 2000 in mid
- -1997 to work alongside Amiga International, which is the sales and
- marketing operation.
-
- Amiga general manager Jeff Schindler, who headed the innovative
- Destination PC/TV project at Gateway before moving over, says he has a
- vision for the Amiga, but at the moment it changes "almost weekly".
-
- However a number of factors are firm.
-
- There will be no new Amiga computers from Gateway, but there will be an
- upgrade to the operating system - together with software development
- kits sometime this year to support development by the Amiga community.
-
- The longer-term plan is to develop reference designs for various types
- of products which will be licensed to third parties.
-
- Mr Schindler sees Amiga`s future in providing products for the "globally
- connected digital society".
-
- There is now time frame for this master plan, but Mr Schindler told the
- faithful at last week's Amiga98 show in St Louis, Missouri: "We're in
- the valley, and we're going to have to spend some more time there before
- we come back up."
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
- END OF ARTICLE.
-
- Those with cash go out and order a Siamese system today, all others send
- email to these people to show your support for the Amiga. Let's help
- these guys get out of the valley and ontop the highest mountain where
- the Amiga really deserves to be.
-
- Andy H.
-
-