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From: WHE46@ccvax.iastate.edu (Marc Barrett)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: how amiga developers can serve me better
Message-ID: <31878@nigel.ee.udel.edu>
Date: 29 Sep 90 03:33:49 GMT
Sender: mmdf@ee.udel.edu
Lines: 48


In article <985@iceman.jcu.oz> C Adams <cpca@iceman.jcu.oz> writes:

>A lot of people have been complaining about the lack of software for
>the Amiga.  What EXACTLY is needed?     
>
>Besides spreadsheets and mathematica what other packages do people on
>the net feel the Amiga needs and what features should they have?
>
>Perhaps there are enough developers on the net that something might
>appear....

   I guess I will contribute my $0.02 (U.S.).  The first thing I would like
to see is a MAC II emulator for the Amiga 3000, using the ULowell graphics 
board to emulate the MAC's 8-bit graphics.  If such an emulation were
used with an '040 board, this could emulate Apple's '040-based MAC at
half the price. 

   The next thing I would like to see is new Janus software (3.0?) that
will provide total SVGA compatibility if the same ULowell board is used on a
system, in addition to a Bridgecard.  The ability to run UNIX SVR4 and
Windows 3.0 software on a single SVGA-quality display could be enticing 
to some businesses.  

   ARexx is now an official part of the Amiga's OS (as everybody has
known for a long time).  But ARexx is still only useable by experienced
Amiga users.  I would like to see third-party support for ARexx to 
make it much easier to use.  Suport could include icon-driven programs
which would allow the user to put together an ARexx script via menus
and icons (a la AmigaVision).  The program would then generate the
actual scripts.  This would push the Amiga's useability to new heights.

   This has been mentioned before, but I would like to echo it.  Port
Object C to the Amiga, and write a powerful NeXT-like interface 
builder.  

   Port GNU C and GNU C++ to the Amiga!
 
   Finally, I would like to see some enhancements to AmigaVision.  AV
already supports a number of types of hardware, from touchscreen monitors
to laserdisk players.  I would like to see this hardware support expanded
to include some of the new third-part Amiga graphics products, and 
possibly even the Video Toaster.  This could be done with ARexx, but I
feel that it would be better to provide this support from within the
program.  


                                 -MB-