This reposting is by request and due to my error of using MIME
unknowingly. This newsreader "THOR" is new to me, I'm trying it out and as
many know it does take some getting to know. Also this is more than just a
reposting, there is additional information added to and in it.
Also, since my first posting, I have been busy putting together a major
addition to the web page I have. Identifying real problems that we can deal
with today, while waiting for something to happen with the Amiga (one way
or the other). I am aware of the Nov. 22 VIScorp update web page contents.
VIScorp does not have the Amiga, and as stated they cannot say anything
about it or their plans for it should they aquire it. Likewise, and
regardless of what VIScorp management may or not be, no-one is in a
position to flame them regarding something (Amiga) they do not have. Also,
using the words of a well known Amiga supporter in his message to Escom
but now directed to the Amiga user base in regards to VIScorp management,
whatever it may be - It is up to VIScorp to figure it out.
The Nov. 22 VIScorp update web page has no effect on this posting, nor
should this posting have any effect on how VIScorp receives me. Though my
web pages might :).
----------
All,
Nothing happens without reason! The struggle of the Amiga, string of
bad luck, is beyond coincidence.
It is not my intent to create hype but only to look at the facts as I
have gathered and put together.
I may have a some errors in what I communicate but in regards to the
big picture (bigger than just the Amiga) I'm not wrong, and I know it.
I see what is happening and have seen a solution for a long time. I
didn't realize the problem was so big so many years ago. I am not a
programmer but certainly know enough about programming and electronics to
know I do see a solution.
Additionally, I do have a web page (several pages) as a primary of
a realisticly possible solution. These pages also contain this posting and
much additional information to consider. The home page is:
http://www.mindspring.com/~timrue
***** I have updated my web pages to contain related topics/facets to
consider. These where not available in my first posting of this.
--- Sorry this is a bit longer than I had intended, but important ---
All,
An Atlanta Amiga user group had Motorola at their last user group
meeting. The group was small but likley due the holiday. Anyway, of what
the guy from Motorola had to say was regarding the PowerPC series of CPU's.
And of this he pointed out that hardware and the ability to produce more
advanced CPUs was not the problem. Software development is the problem and
it is no small problem (this is a known and recognized problem). I believe
it was this guy from Motorola who brought out the info on the GNP (gross
national product) as software development fits into it.
It's not my intent to hype anything here but to deal with the facts as
best as I have been informed. I'm sure there exist the available numbers
to check out and verify.
------------
* The Amiga was design to be an open architecture. Having a small and
robust OS and in short time many programs contained an AREXX port, a
doorway for controlling a program from outside of the programs user
interface.
* About 3 1/2 years ago C.M.U.s' Software Engineering Institute began
research on Open Systems. They have determined such systems are more
productive. http://www.sei.cmu.edu/technology/OPEN SYSTEMS
* Within in this time frame of SEI the Amiga has had a struggle and has
not evolved. Current status, it is in limbo. Contrary to falling prices
elsewhere the Amiga went up in value when Commodore went under. A first in
the computer industry? A phrase used "Amiga, the computer that won't die."
* There is a major software development problem happening world wide
but due to most software being developed in the U.S. it is a problem
greatly affecting the U.S. The non-productive cost are rising and no one
is claiming the problem does not exist. The problem has been written about
time and again and the cost is growing and currently well over one hundred
billion annually. A great deal more is being spent on failures and repairs
than new software.
* On world economy in general, to make the corrections needed, the U.S.
would suffer a great deal more than any other country. (I got this off of
some PBS show recently). The U.S. would become an economic disaster. This
has to do with physical consumable product production on the world market.
* Of the U.S. GNP a great deal of it is generated from the computer
industry. More specifcally software. From Software, most of the dollar is
being spent in failures and on repair.
*** From the above it appears the U.S. GNP has some, not so small,
foundation in software failure and repair transactions.
* Software development has evolved from one stage to another. At one
point structured programming was the thing, then o.o.p., and now componet
programming. The next logical step of this evolution should be componet
applications, where the users (end-user and/or programmer) are able to put
application together to gain a greater value (enabling the needed software
value added abilities). There are also other solutions to other facets of
the software development problem, to be had by componet application.
* The Amiga has always had the ability to tie programs together. It
has just not had an easy to use tool to do so. AREXX is good but not easy
enough. Considering where AREXX came from (IBMs REXX) even IBM know this.
-------------
So, you can verify what you will of the above, but let's say it's
all true for a moment. What's wrong with this picture? Coincidence only
goes so far.
The Amiga has missed many markets it could have been much more in.
With set-top boxes being advertised from companies like Sony, Magnavox,
etc. and the Xmas season here, the Amiga appears to be going to miss this
market as well. Though many consumers are going to be disappointed with
usuability given the quality of phone lines!!! From the comsumer level
Emerson is not known to be a high quality company but rather an
inexpensive product company, perhaps this may be good in that consumers
won't be as financially disappointed and may be more willing to buy a less
expensive set-top box as they realized the importance of the phone line
quality. Phone line will improve but not without pains..
The Amiga is a low cost (given it's abilities) system that has
something of a user attitude and following of getting software for free.
Also, having something of a piracy following.
(note: there is a work around to the piracy problem - the concept of
sponsor-ware or Public Relations Marketing software where the developer
gets paid from the sponsors and the users get the software for free. I
wrote about this in 1990 and potential examples I had used are now
reality. Net Browsers are one example but another ties into DTP and
printers or output houses, software for this is now available free.
Interestingly enough, PR software can hold a very important place in
helping to solve the software development problem. See web pages.)
The point is that there is little money moving thru software
development on the Amiga than on the same number of machines on other
platforms.
Now to adjust the U.S. economy, without causing major problems, means
to convert the non-productive expenses from software development failures
and repair to something productive. Money must continue to change hands!
For individual software development companies, currently most of the
money is to be made in failure and repair. Rough figures are 140+
billion (yes, that's with a B) dollars changing hands due failure and
repair vs. 92 billion in success. The incentive is with failure and repair
and alot of little things add up to something big. The incentive is not
with finding a solution but against finding a solution.
Now let's say there is a solution, a solution that make it possible to
apply componet applications and data together. A simple tool set that
allows users of all levels to be involved in software/system development.
A tool set that would allow a level of automation in programming to happen
in order to reduce the failure and repair rate. (Delphi is almost such a
product, only it does not address the typical user and has many other
constraints about it and therefore doesn't really answer the problem.)
*** Q: if exist, would the solution be identified and used?
A: NO!!!
Why? What it comes down to is "economy of greed". It can be written
off as many other, and even very scary, things like: The U.S. economy would
fall apart if we solve the software development problem to quickly (fear
is a very powerful thing).
But this is not what would happen. The finances being spent on failure
and repair would shift to more productive endevors, money would still
change hands. But it would be a matter of who's hands is it shifting from
and to whom. Yes, money would shift away from software development
(Interestingly enough, when a project starts getting into overruns, it is
common pratice to reduce the size of the development team and the effect
is faster and better development).
Yes, there would be a shake-up but guess what? Being the problem is
in the hands of the developers to solve, they are the first ones needed to
make correction, the incentive is just not there. So certainly the problem
is growing, failure and repair is simply more profitable for individuals
than the solution. Certainly anything that gives way, points to, or hints
at the solution is going to be down played...
Software is simply not a direct physical product but an abstract
product intended to help us produce physical products. But it is not the
way it is being developed or used. It is being used as a direct product
and therefore why it now holds far to high of a percent of the GNP.
Software should never be this much of the GNP otherwise we'll have the
problem we now do have. The U.S. is at economic risk and if we where not
a superpower, perhaps a budget would have been set last year.
Now where does all this put the Amiga? The Amiga is the most capable
system today of putting the solution into action. From the lowest level of
being a desk top system where the majority of computer users are (even
those who develop for large systems can and do write code on desk-top/
workstations). The Amiga already has a huge store of available software
and a time line that contains a real reason why the Amiga doesn't want to
die. Yet it is in limbo and nothing happens without a reason.
I believe the objective is to kill off the Amiga with it's low price
tag, hidding the solution until this is done. Killing it off would be a
matter of divide and conqure and wearing down the users with false
promises. (The Amiga has a small enough peice of the pie to know these
companies producing Amiga compatable systems are really just helping to
cause an additional divide, weither they know it or not. The IBM clones
worked to increase the base for Microsoft/Intel but also had, at the time,
a much bigger potential market than now). Once killed, bring out the
solution little by little but with a much higher price tag as well as to
bring it out on the platform most used. Of course this method will never
bring out the complete solution, nor will it ever really solve the problem.
The Amiga is really not a target but just one victim.
Maybe I'm wrong, but if I'm not then the current Amiga status will not
improve. SEI has already verified open systems are more productive. There
really is a major software development problem whos dollar is very much a
factor in the GNP. And the Amiga continues to go from one bad situation to
another and whos evolution has been in limbo for how long? And to think
the Amiga is in the hands of banks.
This is not speculation but gathering the facts to the best of my
ability and drawing out the logical path events. It doesn't look good for
the Amiga, or for us americans.
On the positive side of this. There are alot of Amigas out there and
apparently many who somehow know something is right special about the
Amiga. Weither realized or not, the Amiga can handle the solution.
The solution is going to be something that enables many programs and
data to be easily tied together so companies can do more inhouse with
software rather than hire out at a greater expence to have it done. A
solution that puts software development in it's proper place in regards
to the GNP. A solution more easily obtainable on the Amiga today than
perhaps any other system, but certainly with desk-tops.
No amount of excuses or rationlizations will change the evolving
reality of the facts. Only addressing the facts with a solution will
change the evolutional direction. And nothing can change this.
The Amigas struggle and current state is no accident of a string of
bad luck. Coincidence only goes so far.
I trust you'll not take my word on the above figures or their
relationships to each other. But that you'll check it out for yourself.
This is no joke! I do wish it was. Maybe nobody really wants to see the
problem for what it is.
Tim Rue
P.S. "This date will NOT be extended" but not yet being resolved really
sounds like it's last years lack of U.S. budget setting. The inability of
politicians to to act in a business manner? And likewise the Amiga
continues to be produced and sold.
VIScorp DOES NOT HAVE THE AMIGA but had effectively convinced many it did
have it. The details of the Amiga status I do not know but the effect is
clear. The Amiga is without a leader and without a leader there is no
direction and things will not get better without a leader. This would be
intentional if the objective does not include a future beyond the A4000..
The solution is going to have to happen with software development sooner
or later (the sooner the better). And since the Amiga is a capable system..
...... It would be a shame to have the Amiga not be the system the
solution came from, simply due it's state of limbo. To have the Amiga miss
out, as it has so many other markets, on something so big, yet so very
well allready suited for.
P.S.S. The Amiga following, a gut feeling it's somehow important?
OVERALL - killing off the Amiga and then bringing it (facets and concepts
from it) out on a more common platform, a platform with a certainty of a
greater cash flow can contribute to improving the software development
problem. However, this route may take a few years longer as well as only
come out a little at a time. Never really solving or direcltly addressing
the problem. Perhaps there is a better or at least additional way where all
this can happen alot sooner. Product packaging is a support issue more
than a product issue and with a modular type of system concept one can
build the system(s) they want and as they can afford (more on web pages
about this.) Also the OS is only part of the potential solution and as
such, perhaps there is another OS being planned but I don't know. If so
perhaps it will be versatile and robust enough to handle existing
applications on the various platforms. Certainly much should have been
learned about OS's from all we have done so far and in light of the
software development problem.
To help kill any sting that may be felt: much that we have on computers
today, regardless of platform, came from Xerox, and withpout paying
royalities to Xerox/PARC. Also Xerox is a planned presenter at the January?
Atlanta based Amiga user group general meeting. (The group name is not
mentioned here - because I haven't gotten approval from them to mention
their name nor am I going to ask because the issue is does touch on
politics and economy and these areas are not within the status of the
non-profit group they are, but many know who this group is). Although I am
a member of this group, what you read here is my work and it is outside of
the group. It is not my intent to upset anyone but to present the facts as
best I have been informed and to put the peices of these facts together.
There is much more to consider than what is presented here (see my updated
web pages - there is simply to much to be posting to the newsgroups).
Thanks, Tim Rue
Due to the crossposting I'm doing, I cannot keep up with any responces in a
specific conference. If you want a responce from me then let me know, via
email, which conference to look into. And if the messages you want me to
respond to is productive in nature then email it to me to save me some
search time. (if it not productive you'll either not let me know or want
me to look for it and here I may not look). Thanks, and again I have a
web page:
http://www.mindspring.com/~timrue
EMAIL:
timrue@mindspring.com
Email: timrue@mindspring.com
Copyright © 1988, 1994, 1996 Timothy V. Rue