Due to recent developments, this information is no longer current. A major update is planned soon.
Progress is important for any computer system, the Amiga is no exception. While powerful, the Amiga hardware and OS is no longer considered cutting edge. The mere fact that it still offers a highly capable platform after four years of neglect is a fitting tribute to the power and flexibility which made it so unique. But the Amiga needs to expand beyond its current state and show the Wintel-oriented world how to do things with style and ease - a style and ease the Amiga has always had and always will, unlike much of the competition.
The standard Amiga hardware core is a 680X0 series processor supported by custom coprocessors for graphics, sound and so on. The 680X0 still packs plenty of power, but the 68060 is effectively the end of the line. You can't base the future of a machine upon a CPU line which is finished, so the Amiga has turned to other CPUs to push itself into new areas. Motorola's 680X0 successor, the PowerPC chip, is one such alternative - with a big following amongst Next Generation Amiga followers. Apple made the transition from 680X0 to PowerPC, so why shouldn't the Amiga?
Of course, the next generation of Amigas won't just be based upon a single architecture. Amiga International, as well as other companies and organisations, all feel the Amiga is ideal for many different architectures. From palmtops to home computers, consumer electronics to high-end graphics workstations, network computers to houses, people see ways to make use of the power of the Amiga. Who am I to disagree? It can only improve the future of the Amiga, spread the word to a world forced to believe that a PC is the only computer, and show the power the Amiga has to offer.
On May 15th 1998, Amiga International and Amiga Incorporated revealed the new Amiga. Details are naturally sketchy - but the overview has been given. The future is bright, the future is red and white checked. Obviously...
Since the announcement, a lot of things, good and bad, have happened with public knowledge of turmoil and tension allegedly due to pressures from Gateway. Jim Collas from Gateway took over as head of Amiga and almost instantly turned the company around into something actually doing something. For many Amiga fans, the damage had probably been done to those only just coming around from the mistrust in the post-Commodore days, but Jim genuinely comes across as having the vision and enthusiasm necessary - barely weeks after his arrival, the recruitment drive came through including some top names from the computer industry. People who've worked for companies like SGI, Apple, Borland/Inprise and so on.
So what do Amiga hope to do with the technology, how do they think they can possibly compete with what's out there? In short, they're looking at a software solution that will integrate all the great ideas put there, but which lack unity. 'Digital Convergence' is the phrase bandied around. In addition, they want to provide a solid basis for new ideas - ideas held back by existing technology. This isn't going to spring up overnight, even assuming they can launch the first systems on time at the end of 1999.
But what about now? Well, a compatible development environment based upon the familiar IBM PC compatible architecture (supplied, naturally, from Gateway's extensive range) is to be launched. Since most of the key developers work on PC compatibles, and the platform is cheap, this is quite a logical choice.
Under Amiga's "Digital Convergence" programme, core technology will also be transferred to a variety of developments. From laptops to high-performance consoles, set top boxes to SGI performance graphic workstations, Internet boxes and home computers.
For further information on Amiga-based digital convergence technology, take a look at my Digital Convergence Page
At present, no official version of AmigaOS runs on hardware other than a 680X0. AmigaSoft developer (previously OS 4.0 or OS 5dev) will be an interim OS standard, introducing the new, uprated API for developers. AmigaSoft OE will follow up the new hardware and take the AmigaOS firmly into the future. Meanwhile, OS3.5 promises to enhance the current Amiga line ready for the next step.
For more information on the next generation of AmigaOS, check out my Next Generation AmigaOS Page.
Naturally, while officialdom sorted out their development roadmap, others made their own progress towards a next generation Amiga system. One approach was to carry on the traditional Amiga view of using custom technology, in much the same way as detailed above. The other view was to abandon the idea of an actual 'Amiga' and port AmigaOS to various hardware standards. Both ways are valid and have advantages over the other, so the reality is now a blend of the two ideas - ports of the OS to various existing systems, supplemented by Amiga-esque custom solutions. Both these 'alternative Amigas' can happily coexist with the new Amiga vision. Take a look at the dedicated pages on this site for further information on these and other developments.
The Industry Standard option was the original choice for Commodore's PowerPC Amiga vision, and one which the developer MetaBox (formerly PIOS) has chosen for its PowerPC Amiga. Using the PowerPC Common Hardware Reference Platform (CHRP), PIOS has driven down development time and cost, bringing cheaper and more flexible solutions to the user. It fits nicely with the philosophy of AmigaOS.
Some may see the move to industry standards as the demise of the Amiga spirit, a cheapening of the platform to the uniform, bloated world of the Wintel masses. Not a bit of it - the benefits include a wider market, lower costs for everyone and an improvement in power. With Apple's controversial decision to end CHRP Macintosh clones, the bulk of PowerPC users, the CHRP platform is now anybody's. BeOS have already stepped in to grab the lucrative market, and hopefully AmigaOS will join in soon. I'm looking forward to it.
Nearing the end of August, PIOS metamorphosed into Met@box. The new site is sketchy at best, doesn't mention the transAM and has poor support for English - apparently there were/are some legal problems with the name PIOS... more details as/when I get them! However, one piece of interesting news I've heard is the strong possibility of the transAM becoming one of the first MMC equipped Amigas!
Phase 5 were the first company to initiate the process of change to a new architecture. They opted for a custom Amiga solution, proposing a PowerPC Amiga called the A\BOX, with all the custom coprocessor goodies - an Amiga A1000 for the PowerPC era.
To ease the upgrade path, PowerPC/680X0 dual-processor Amiga accelerators have also been developed and distributed under the PowerUP scheme. An excellent idea on paper, but the custom solution has a drawback in terms of long development times. But it looks to be the case that Phase 5 and Amiga International will team up on the research and development front - making a fully PowerPC Amiga a reality. In the meantime, Amiga owners can start to benefit from the PowerPC, taking their systems further than ever before.
Phase 5 have recently postponed the A\BOX project, due to delays with the PowerUP programme, and introduced an interrim pre\BOX multi-PowerPC Amiga system. This gives room for the A\BOX project to be revised and uprated, while shifting the PowerUP path towards high-performance, standalone hardware.
For more information on PowerPC Amiga systems, check out my PowerPC Amiga Page.
Of course, the PowerPC is just the beginning. There are other solutions and hardware configurations on the way which will incorporate AmigaOS. Siamese and Access Innovations have teamed up to realise a port of AmigaOS to the powerful Alpha processor line, backed up with excellent Alpha Amiga hardware. Plus, there are rumours of other CPUs - all contributing to healty signs of a multi-platform Amiga range. Coldfire, for example, is being hinted by one developer as a useful tool to keep 680X0 Amiga investments running well into the 21st Century as low-cost multi-processing systems
For more information on Alpha Amigas, check out my
Alpha Amiga Page.
For Coldfire development, you should take a look at
the Coldfire Amiga page.
Using an online Amiga Survey Form, I've been asking people to make a choice between the various Next Generation Amiga systems which have been unveiled to date. The current state of voting is as follows:
| Amiga Survey Results | |
| Alpha Amiga | 27.6% |
| Phase 5 pre\BOX | 27.6% |
| Phase 5 A\BOX | 24.1% |
| PIOS transAM | 13.8% |
| Take your cash and shove it! | 06.9% |
Note: the 'superchip' Amiga is not listed, nor the interim SiamesePCI. These were not unveiled at the time the survey started, and still have not been completely specified. Besides, SiamesePCI is a 680X0 on a card...
Options exist already for powering up an existing 680X0 Amiga with a choice of uprated processor systems. Current options are limited to PowerPC (with multi-G3 systems to be unveiled early 1999), but the low-cost Coldfire option is also on its way. All these systems co-exist with a 680X0 processor, like an expensive co-processor option, until 680X0 emulation techniques have matured for suitability in everyday applications.
For more information on PowerPC options, check out my
PowerPC Amiga Page.
For Coldfire options, you should take a look at the Coldfire Amiga
page.
That's up to you... comments, constructive criticism, links and useful information will all be gratefully received. I've tried to remain neutral towards all the different developers, but if someone feels I've failed in this respect then please let me know... it wasn't my intention. However, in some cases I have deliberately tried to provoke a response - discussion is healthy, as is support, and the Amiga community is one of the few to realise this. What other group of computer users could make it through TWO periods of uncertainty and come out with the same visions and enthusiasm? (well... near enough the same, anyway *grin*). My respect and luck to all the developers and supporters of the Next Generation Amiga.
