Well I have just finished reading through the thread. What an experience.
For what it is worth a few comments.
Sometimes the framework and scope of how things are looked at is much more important than any of the specifics.
Let me begin by defending Amiga Inc, specifically Fleecy and Bill. I am going to defend them in their errors, not defend their errors. Amiga Inc suffered a critical loss of finance, just at the time when they were starting to move forward, the result was they had serverely overstretched their resources and paid the price of hoping things would get better. Will that do as a general paraemter?
What do you expect them to do? They contracted, they attempted to fill the financial gaps by stepping over the line on a number of fairly minor things, they were unable to pay people, but they trudged on. That's my defence. It makes sense, it puts things into perspective and it makes niether evil incarnate.
In short, it the common delima of many businesses which hit a rock just when thnbey were expecting clear water -- in retropsect they could have been wiser and more cautious, but there are no biggies, no great crimes, nothing much at all, just misjudgements, short term remedies when long term ones were required, a misestimation of the financial climate.
But in all this their DE project just went on, slowly but still there, still the same stuff they started talking about. In the meantimes they got the old OS updated, for them a sideline to their main purpose, but they farmed it out and this was better than any other option.
Most of the stuff they have been accused of can be true, except their intentions, their intentions can only be found in the general scope of their actions not in this or that miscaluted action. But what do we find instead, each accusation is merely a vehicle for slandering their intentions, "they are crooks liars, etc etc". I don't need to justify their every action, I am not them, but I can certianly see a consistency of purpose and a simple explaination for their misadventures and it just doesn't mount up to much at all -- sorry folks, it simply does not wash. I have heard of nothing said against Amiga Inc which does not fit with the greater perspective outlined above, unfortunate decisions, overstepping the mark here and there, but no big scam (that would be requiring getting more bucks than anything they have presumable got so far).
Why are some of us so pleased that Garry Hare has come forward, because Amiga Inc was so long over stretched. This has been obvious for sometime, I've said it often enough. I like the DE thing and I like the OS4 thing but they are two different things in development. Amiga Inc did a good job, but not a good enough job, nor could they be expected to given their condition.
Nobody knows a lot about Garry Hare, he is not from within our community, but I am for one pleased with everything I have found so far. The fact was many of us needed someone like this, someone with pull, someone backed, someone who needed OS4 for other plans to come along -- because an OS these days, just for a niche users, is not going to cut the mustard today.
Happy, well I am estatic. Garry Hare is the right man, at the right time, wonder why some on AW.net are falling over themselves because he has arrived -- well it is no secret, we needed someone like him to boost OS4 especially now as it is about to come out. Hyperion has done the hard work, but we all knew a different set of skills was needed to promote it and make it successful. Amiga Inc was overstretched and has been for ages, it was not going to be able to do it even if they abandoned DE altogether, and they are not going to do that.
Then there is the man himself, Garry Hare has a reputation, and a good one, he has background, he has accomplishments, and going by his interview he has an earthy honesty and a self-depricating manner which is also most welcome. He is not going to publically state his grand plan (he may not have one), he is not making any promises and his "vision" seems directed at gaining markets and customers.
Some had seem to think that Garry doesn't know what crossplatform means -- sorry folks read it again, Desktop to settopbox, may have the same CPU but they are different platforms -- that is his crossplatform support in the medium term. In the long term he says nothing, but use your brain a bit, look what he says about Amiga Inc, two and two do sometimes add up to four.
The card, what a laugh. He has given a simple explanation of a complex matter, still people can't let it go. To all those that think it has some importance -- get a life, any life, anything above that of ameobic dystentry, aim for something higher than being a bowel complaint.
Happy I am am with the turn of events, perhaps in the end most of us will be despite current misgivings.
Greg Schofield |