The MorphOS development team is proud to announce the public release of MorphOS 3.3, which includes various bug fixes and other improvements. For an overview of the included changes, please read our release notes.
A nice bugfix release for MorphOS users.
And I just got 3.2 installed the way I wanted it…
The lack of Airport support is the only thing that impedes me to replace OSX in my PowerBook G4.
MorphOS is a really nice and unique OS. I love so much its snappiness and lightweight feeling.
Not really unique, given it is an Amiga OS clone.
Yeah, and it’s difficult for me to get excited about an OS that only runs on 7 year old PPC hardware and lacks modern software that most people expect. Until MOS and OS4 have modern office suites with STABLE and useful browsers, they’re just OS’s for door stops and boat anchors…..the lack of 3D support is also unacceptable….and lets not forget the abysmal printer support and USB support that is unstable at best.
I know, the Amiga lovers will see this as flame-bait and start acting irrational…..I don’t care. Let them throw their tantrums….
Edited 2013-09-21 22:17 UTC
As someone that used the real thing back in the day, the Amiga OS was just part of the experience. The hardware with the dedicated blitter and sound chips was the other part of the experience.
I fully agree with you, this time is now long gone.
Interestingly they haven’t. Some months ago there were some lively discussions about MorphOS, Amiga Clones, etc. But this time almost nothing.
Now maybe it is because it was all hashed out and there isn’t much left to say. But I think something else is at play. OSNews feels like it is hibernating.
There used to be more posts, there used to be a sidebar with news that was posted more frequently, there used to be more conversation. Now I hope this is because something is in the works, or that those involved need to take a break and come back refreshed. Maybe add some new blood. Something.
So let us hope the site awakens soon, and we can get some lively discussions, and perhaps out of our well worn rut.
I love the Amiga, but for me an Amiga is a Commodore product, a marriage between soft- and hardware that runs Amiga software.
Running an Amiga look-a-like OS on an old Apple computer doesn’t give me an Amiga feeling.
I’d rather spend my money on a real Amiga on eBay.
Yes, sadly cannot upvote. +1
No, you’re absolutely correct. Morphos is unstable, bug-filled inconsistent crap. Resizing the window of the built-in image viewer will cause the USB mouse to repeatedly drop out – until you put it back to default size or smaller. Half the time, the keyboard won’t be detected. G4 fans rev loudly in an annoying pattern. Many Morphos programs ignore basic conventions (can’t snapshot, no screen depth, can’t save/use preferences, etc.). Morphos is supposed to be able to run Amiga Workbench compatible programs, but every one I tried is unstable or doesn’t run at all.
I’d rather run OSX and emulate Amiga (FS-UAE) than run a so-called “native Amiga OS” that buggy and unstable.
I must admit your experience of MorphOS is very much at a variance to mine.
I find it a stable, lightweight bug free little thing that’s a pleasure to use. Yes, it’s missing a large Office suite, but I don’t need one for a ‘hobby’ OS.
I think about this every time there is a MorphOS story. I used and developed for the Amiga back in the day, but I still have yet to hear a compelling reason why I should use MorphOS.
The most common I hear is how well it runs on resource limited hardware, but the list of that hardware is quite small. Most of it is years old and unsupported, and will become increasingly hard to replace.
We have had 40 some odd years of portable operating systems, and MorphOS is tied to a specific CPU architecture. Because I could at least see some argument if I could run this supposedly lithe OS on my desktop system.
No one has pointed to a compelling app that only runs on MorphOS, or how I can somehow be more productive.
So, MorphOS fans, I really want to know: Why should I use it? Why should I care?
And for bonus points: Please explain why their variable pricing structure is a good thing.
Its amazing that AmigaOs and MorphOs remain businesses. How many copies do they sell? 10,000? Meanwhile Blackbery sold 3.7 million units and is all but done for.
I just wish theyd get their heads out of their ass and support multiple architectures.
Edited 2013-09-22 08:51 UTC
Well it depends on the size of your business. If you have 1000 customers paying you $100 a year, that is $100K (before taxes). More than enough to support a one or maybe two person business.
I don’t know how large the MorphOS company is but I doubt it is more than a few people and I would be surprised if more than one of them works full time on MorphOS (if that).
N.E.R.D. (nothing ever really dies) I used to know a guy who made a living patching OS/8 (the OS for the PDP-8) in the 90s. He only had two or three clients, but they paid well. I lost touch, but I can only hope those companies finally ported their software to something a little more modern.
As of March 2013 Blackberry at 12.7K employees. That changes the equation dramatically.
It is unfortunate that the decline of the Amiga has lead to a divisive approach for sustained development of the OS with AmigaOS, MorphOS, and AROS. None of them is large enough to be able to keep up with hardware developments.
This still provides a second-life for a number of older Apple hardware no longer supported by Apple. Interestingly, there are quite a number of Linux distributions specializing in the older X86 hardware not powerful enough to run the last/second last generation of Windows.
Interesting story about making a living patching PDP-8s in the 90s. They were likely kept alive because they were used for some specialized analytical instruments or in a process control function. Upgrading the hardware would have required upgrading the interfaces which may not be possible due to lack of documentation or may have carried a huge business or equipment risk.
By the way, BlackBerry now has (or soon will have) just ~5,000 employees. This changes the equation even more.
A second life to do what? Again this is my question: Aside from running a browser, what apps can I run? What makes MorphOS interesting? What makes it compelling? Why should I spend 100+ EUR when I could install Linux, and have a better answer to why I should use it.
If you want to run MorphOS, AROS, QNX, Syllable, whatever, more power to you; I will not stand in your way and I will eagerly listen to your war stories.
However if you (and by that I mean the MorphOS folk) want me to be interested in MorphOS then they got to give a reason. But what about it is worth $150?
Because I could run Linux, or even just continue to run OSX and run an out of date/obscure browser, and it would be cheaper.
http://techcrunch.com/2013/09/20/blackberry-confirms-massive-layoff…
BlackBerry is cutting 4500 jobs. 12700 – 4500 = 8200. But that doesn’t actually change the point I was trying to make.
From their website: “The prices are 111.11 EUR for one PowerBook G4 system, iBook G4 or Power Mac G5, 79 EUR for one eMac, Mac mini G4, Pegasos I, Pegasos II or PowerMac G4, and 49 EUR for one EfikaPPC system”
But you’re sort of right – why the hell did I buy an old G4, upgraded it with hard to come by parts and install some obscure overpriced OS developed by three guys and a cat?
Well, it is of course a different scenario if one has to purchase the hardware to run it.
On the other hand, if one has one of these older systems gathering dust in a closet (the result of Apple’s planned obsolescence approach) and has some Amiga software really wished to be used again, then this make it happen.
Finally, if one wishes to develop applications for this platform, the start-up cost for the hardware would be easier to swallow. Whether one could hope of making lots of money with this platform is another story all together. There is certainly an Amiga fan base still loyal to it.
Except that it should be noted that even discontinued OSX on this hardware still has better hardware and software support.
Though if I were looking for AmigaOS compatibility wouldn’t I be better off using AmigaOS, unless the only hardware I had was Apple. At which point this is becoming an ever more unlikely situation.
I am not saying it is impossible, but that you aren’t talking to that many people.
There is a Amiga fanbase that is loyal to AmigaOS. MorphOS is something else. I was an Amiga developer and while I left that whole community when then Amiga platform stopped making sense, my impression is that MorphOS was never that big or accepted.
Please correct me if I am wrong, but I am going to need to see some numbers
I quoted the 111(ish) EUR price because that is the only hardware I own that can run MorphOS. However that powerbook is on its last legs, and as was pointed out before none of that (apple) hardware is really supported.
I also, if people look above in the posts, asked for people to explain to me why this variable pricing scheme is a good thing, or at the very least makes sense.
I suspect I know the reason why the MorphOS team are doing it, but that doesn’t mean it is a great idea. And can I point out every piece of hardware on that list is discontinued?
If I still owned actual AmigaOS compatible hardware, I think I would prefer to run AmigaOS. Then I would at least get the benefit of better compatibility.
Well if you put it that way, it actually sounds more appealing
MorphOS is for people who want to use updated amigaos-compatible operating system on ~50 x faster machines. Nothing less, nothing more. Just like Symbos on MSX2 or updated CP/M for Z80 machines.
I am not saying you are wrong, and as I said before, more power to anyone who wants to use it.
You argument seems to be (and correct me if I am wrong) that people use it as essentially a novelty. I get that, I really do, but what I am saying is that $150 is pretty expensive for a novelty.