MorphOS advocacy

[redrumloa]

While most things "Amiga" or amiga-like are purely nostalgic or hobby level, MorphOS is powerful enough to be used as a daily personal computer. Obviously, it is not the right tool for business in most cases but plenty powerful for home use. I you want to play cutting edge games, get a high end PC or PS3. otherwise morphOS can do just about anything you want it to.

Here is a quick and dirty video I did showing a 10 year old PowerMac G4 (with aftermarket CPU board) handling 720p video with no problem.

10 year old G4 and using only one core. Not bad. That same system could handle some 1080p formats. With G5 support comng by end of Feb 2013, MorphOS users will have no problem with 1080p playback of any codec.

Mplayer is one good example, OWB (Web browser) is another. Fab's OWB Browser for MorphOS is my favorite browser on any platform. It is small, faaaast and comliant with all modern standards. Shortcomings? If you MUST have flash, look elsewhere. Flash is dying, HTML5 is taking over. OWB handles HTML5 like a champ. MorphOS is the only Amiga-like system that can use Youtube properly.

Productivity? There are a few startup native word pocessors are just fine for light usage. Need something more mainstream, look no further than Google Docs which works great on OWB.

Games? As stated earlier, for cutting edge look elsewhere obviously. For classic and semi-modern games, all bases are covered via emulation.

If you read this and are still asking why bother? You probably don't really like the so called "Amiga way" of doing things. Ambient picks up where Workbench left off and is quite the treat to use.

There ya go! No go out and get yourself some MorphOS capable hardware! ;-)

 

[Robert]

morphOS can do just about anything you want it to.

As far as I'm aware, it still can't do proper multi-track recording, which was one of the reasons I ditched it.

That said, I do intend to give it another spin when I have time.

 

[redrumloa]

As far as I'm aware, it still can't do proper multi-track recording, which was one of the reasons I ditched it.

I know just about nothing on the subject, sorry :-/

 

[Robert]

I know just about nothing on the subject, sorry :-/

No problem. Even if the problem has been addressed, I can't imagine me switching to MorphOS for audio at this stage. I'm too much of Logic user to go back.
When I do get around to firing up MorphOS again, it will be from the tinkering-hobbiest-maybe-even-programmer point of view.

 

[redrumloa]

Reasonably good overview from 3.0, the last major update.

 

[Robert]

Thanks. Nice video. It's certainly come on leaps and bounds.

 

[redrumloa]

@Robert
I'm glad you liked it. If you do try out MorphOS 3.1, I recommend a fresh install and Ultimate Pack 3.1.1 (unless a newer version comes out). Ultimate Pack is a collection of many 3rd party software and a tweaked system, turnkey.

 

[Robert]

@Robert
I'm glad you liked it. If you do try out MorphOS 3.1, I recommend a fresh install and Ultimate Pack 3.1.1 (unless a newer version comes out). Ultimate Pack is a collection of many 3rd party software and a tweaked system, turnkey.

I had a look at the Ultimate Pack site and clicked through to 'Hurrican' - brought back happy Turrican memories.

 

[metalman]

AROS + Linux = AEROS

 

[Robert]

AROS + Linux = AEROS

Interesting. I had no idea about this, thanks.

 

[redrumloa]

AROS + Linux = AEROS

I still have not tried this out. My PC monitor is dying so I have been using my MorphOS system exclusively... I need to get a new monitor and try this (plus Dead Space 3 and Crysis 3 are coming out in a couple months).

 

[Robert]

Well, the Peg1 still works and even auto-resized to my TV's display.

However, installing 3.1 has yet to be accomplished. Ran into an old error that I'm sure I've seen before but cannot remember how to fix. On pressing escape at power-up, I get:

error: could not open keyboard for console input

I've stuck a question on Morphzone and am just heading out to the Boxing Day fitbaw match.
Hopefully there might be a solution by the time I get back in a few hours. =)

 

[Robert]

I've stuck a question on Morphzone and am just heading out to the Boxing Day fitbaw match.
Hopefully there might be a solution by the time I get back in a few hours. =)

A couple of the good folks over there have reminded me it requires a PS/2 keyboard. I'm away for a rummage in the loft. I'm sure I must still have one somewhere.

 

[redrumloa]

A couple of the good folks over there have reminded me it requires a PS/2 keyboard. I'm away for a rummage in the loft. I'm sure I must still have one somewhere.

Aaah the joys of a PS/2 keyboard :-p

I'm glad to see you are getting around to setting up your Pegasos with MorphOS 3.1. If you don't go for the fresh install and Ultimate Pack, then I recommend the package manager "Grunch".

 

[redrumloa]

The MorphOS version of MAME is pretty solid and fast on my current system, which is only 1.25Ghz. I can't wait for the G5 2.7Ghz support to be added in the next couple months. I'm going to pickup a USB->PSX controller adapter so I can play PS1 games. I'm also hoping with G5 suport that Fab (or Amidog, or someone else) ports a PS2 emulator.

 

[Robert]

Aaah the joys of a PS/2 keyboard :-p

I'm glad to see you are getting around to setting up your Pegasos with MorphOS 3.1. If you don't go for the fresh install and Ultimate Pack, then I recommend the package manager "Grunch".

Well, so far I haven't managed to install it at all. It attempts to boot from the CD but restarts before getting anywhere and just boots into 1.4. Not sure what the issue is now.

 

[redrumloa]

Well, so far I haven't managed to install it at all. It attempts to boot from the CD but restarts before getting anywhere and just boots into 1.4. Not sure what the issue is now.

From my memory on a Peg1 you have to f**k around a little bit in OF. I haven't had a Peg1 in ~7 years so I will be of no help to you. I'll leave that up to the folks on MZ. It is much easier with a PowerMac. Generally speaking, put the CD in the computer and power up.

I hope you work it out easily.

 

[Robert]

I hope you work it out easily.

Certainly won't be "easily" but I'll hopefully get there.
Even if I don't, it's been strangely therapeutic mucking about in MorphOS.

When you told me on MZ to open a shell, I was opening various drawers, thinking, "Where the hell does that hide again?" (Fortunately, I still remembered it's called "CLI")
Along the way to finding it, I happened upon various files, drawers and programs that I had forgotten ever existed. Nice wee nostalgia hit.

 

[redrumloa]

@Robert
Glad to see you are enjoying it, even though you are having some issues.

If I remember correctly, on 1.4 you can open a shell window in the same way as 3.1. if you have the desktop selected as active, out your mouse pointer on the title bar and click the right mouse button. Go Ambient->New Shell...

 

[faethor]

I like the Linux + AROS route. PowerPC hardware is either aging (G4/G5) likely to fail or new A1000 and expensive. Today's x86 is hellafast and ARM is doing well in the marketplace. ARM provides a low cost / low performance (G4) while x86 provides a low cost / high performance (G5) which beats the PPC options. Back in my day the architecture was important to what one wants to do. We're entering the heterogenous CPU/GPU era. IMO MorphOS should be hitting newer / low cost IBM 750 CPUs and making a Wii and WiiU version.

PS3? Nah. We have both a 360 and a PS3. The 360 gets far more hours in a week than the PS3 does in a month. Though for high-end games it's time for a 720 / PS4 era to start.