Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!rex!ukma!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!gatech!udel!princeton!njin!limonce From: limonce@pilot.njin.net (Tom Limoncelli +1 201 408 5389) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.misc Subject: Re: WB2.0 for non-A3000 Message-ID: Date: 1 Feb 91 15:51:02 GMT References: <1222@stca77.stc.oz> Organization: Drew University - Madison NJ Lines: 61 In article <1222@stca77.stc.oz> peter@stca77.stc.oz (Peter Jeremy) writes: > [Why no 2.0 for non-Amiga 3000 machines?] For a 2000 or 500 to run AmigaDOS 2.0, it must be put in ROM. They're not going to burn (make) the ROMs until it's done. ROMs aren't cheap, do you want to buy them every month until they're ready? Developers can use 2.0 if they have an MMU and use it like the 3000 does. Developers can not share this version for many, many reasons. (1) their nondisclosure agreement says so. (2) you don't want a million versions of an *unfinished* operating systems running around. (people that got beta-1.3 illegally are still posting about problems that they wouldn't have if they just upgraded to the real 1.3 release!) (3) many more. > The only problems I can think of are: > Commodore Marketing - this is the most likely. Don't blame everything on Commodore Marketing. Their concern is how to package it to the consumer... once it's done. ^^^^ > Contains 68030 specific code - Given that AmigaDOS has always supported No that's silly. C-A always planned on this running on all platforms. By the way, how would marketing influence this? Sneak in at night and re-write code that was '030 specific? :-) > CATS are waiting for a real 68040 so they can test the 68040 support - this > is possible, but only explains why it is still `beta' rather than a final > release. I doubt they have to wait. :-) Besides, the diferences between the '030 and '040 shouldn't effect the OS or any program too much. > WB2.0 assumes the A3000 ECS chipset - I understood that the new chips were This has been posted over, and over. 2.0 does *not* require the ECS chipset nor the Amiga 3000 ECS chipset. I'm not sure why you think marketing is getting in the way. When 2.0 is sanctioned as "done" I'm sure the race will be to see which happens first (1) the first batch of ROMs are done and are used on the assembly line (2) the upgrade kits and (this might be bigger) install manual and rumor squasher manual are finalized. I'd assume that (1) will take less time, which means that we'll see Amiga 500, 2x00, 3000s shipping with 2.0 in ROM a couple weeks before the upgrade kits are available. Viewing past actions of the Amiga community, I assume that if the difference is more than 2 weeks rumors of "no upgrade kits" will start to spread. I hope C-A includes a note with the Amigas that says something like: "Tell you friends to start saving their dough! Upgrade kits for Amiga 500s, 2000s, 2500s will be shipping soon!" Tom -- One thousand, one hundred, seventy five people died of AIDS last week. Did someone mention a war in Iraq?