AmigaAnywhere

The first most noticeable thing i discovered this week is that the AMIGA OS5 i.e. the latest Amiga operating system is actually here. It was revealed to the world the 1st week of January at an Consumer Electronics show in Vegas. For the older generation Amiga -the name- encompasses hardware (we all remember the great Amiga 500) and the operating system (workbech 3.0), along with their custom made chips for graphics sounds that made the whole system seem way ahead of its time.

So what is this new AmigaAnywhere?

AmigaAnywhere is effectively a virtual operating system. There is no hardware to dazzle us or anything like that but as Amiga Inc. (the company that made it) says AmigaAnywhere is a

“device-independent, single, ubiquitous Virtual Environment that functions across different operating systems and the internet”.

So it is like an operating system that sits on top of any other operating systems so that applications can actually run anywhere (or at least any machine that runs AmigaAnywhere) It is a good idea and it targets a very neice market.

The idea of having software applications that are actually platform and processor independent is great, although it is not new. I also think that if it came out a few years ago it would create more of a stir. Still, i hope it catches up. I like knowing that my Mac, my PC and my phone can exchange applications. If they all run AmigaAnywhere they actually can. If there is a real need by simple every day users to have such functionality remains to be seen.

The name which initially was AmigaOS5 was changed (according to reports) at the request of Microsoft who apparently support the product although they do not like the idea of running software on top of windows that it is also an operating system. Amiga inc had exploited such technologies in the recent years, during the development of AmigaOS4. Some names to look out in the area of virtual operating system are TAO

Again according to the website AmigaAnywhere 2 currently runs under Windows proper, Windows Mobile, Linux for PCs and Linux for embedded systems. A Mac OS X version is on its way but the company wants to get the Symbian version finished first.

There is also an SDK for the AMIGA OS5 (or AmigaAnywhere). So if you are interested in checking it out you can register as a developer with www.amiga.com (click the developers Tab) and after registration you will receive Amiga SDK 1.5.

I have registered myself. Great news for some...

more soon.


panos on 01.25.08 @ 08:10 PM gmt [link]