Despite trolls’ claims to the contrary, BeOS is still alive and well, and no one shows it more than active BeOS usergroups . The German BeOS User Group, DeBUG, has reformed and reorganized and the next BeGeistert is planned for mid-October. More details within. Matthias Breiter writes, “Founded in May 1996 the German BeOS Usergroup (Deutsche B.U.G.) DeBUG was very active while BeOS was in active development.
Since Be Inc. was aquired by Palm times were changing. DeBUG was target of several “hackings” and even the whole graphics were lost during a hacker’s attack. A rework of the original site was done. But the DeBUG was still more or less inactive.
On July 26th a complete redesign was done- and hey, you bet – live is getting back to our BUG.
Germans BeOS Community features guys like Axel Dörfler (OpenBeOS), Bernd Korz (BeOS’ next incarnation Zeta), Technoids Magazine (now also available in English) and many many BeOS users.
So if you are in Germany or can read German and if you are interested in alternative computersystems, you should have a look on http://www.beusergroup.de.
Also, BeGeistert, the last remaining BeOS “Expo” is here in Düsseldorf (next Event is from October 18th till 19th). The main language on this event is english- international visitors are welcome 🙂“
…and hopefully the Pegasos running OpenBeOS will be there…and Nicholas Blachford too!
🙂
It is nice to hear of BeOS users still going…
The UK bug mailing list ( http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ukbug/ ) could do with a injection of life. *hint* *hint* any brit BeOS [ex]users.
i can not wait any more. i am getting a laptop and the deluxe version for christmas. i am glad to hear that you guys are back.
go Be!!!!!
– 2501
i think u may have misinterpretted the story
beware of installing BeOS on a brand new laptop… u might wanna try the free version b4 buyin the deluxe
I always loved Be. I was sure at one point that BeOS was the one. I just knew that Be on the desktop and linux on the server were going to rule the world. At least I was half right. Things sure would be different if Be would of took off. Maybe then I wouldn’t be disgusted with the computing industry.
Who cares if it’s back? Nobody is going to run it except for a few hobbyist. It will become shelfware, like Amiga OS.
The BeOS of 3-4 years ago still beats Windows and Linux combined in many important areas such as responsiveness and performance.
It has weaknesses too but it never really died out and improvements are still being churned out. So to answer your question: I guess I care. I’m not a hobbyist, I’m a PC user/developer and most importantly a prisoner of Window$.
That’s one… <*cricket*> … <*cricket*> … <*cricket*>
i was talking about the new Zeta BeOS.
let’s see what happens. a friend of mine is running R5 and
it working pretty well.
Developers Wanted
18. August 2003
yellowTAB is looking to hire two experienced developers. The job will be full time, and preferably located in our office in Mannheim. The developers, if from another country, would be required to move to Germany, though not necessarily immediately.
The developer profile we are seeking is one of a highly motivated worker, who likes challenges and also works well integrated in a team environment. Also: more
Seems encouraging
Brian N
Well compared to other OS like Windows, Linux, BSD and MacOS and their very active usage in Companies etc., you might be right – there´s a small group worldwide (and NOT only in Germany, theres TurkBUG, IrlBUG, Japanese BUG etc.) that constantly spreads the message. And with Zeta, OpenBeOS and other BeOS-based systems, the future looks promising.
I don´t agree with the AmigaOS link you made. Funny enough that on the DeBUG side, we´re proud to welcome some AmigaOS “refugees” in our BUG – Matthias Breiter is one of them and with TECHNOIDS Magazine, he´s a very active BeOSer now
So as always, don´t believe the hype. Check BeOS from http://www.bebits.com and make your own opinion – sometimes things only die because someone´s digging a grave and everybody starts singing
choulth
http://www.beusergroup.de
Be isn’t dead. OpenBeOS is making milestones again (but they haven’t posted this one to their website *hint*hint*) … from the IK mailing list:
—————————————-
I’m very pleased to announce the completion of an important milestone
(to me, at least =): the first successful test of messaging using
libopenbeos.so. There are many key BeAPI classes involved in this,
including BHandler, BLooper, BMessage, and BMessenger (just to name a
few). Virtually all the active members of the “App/Interface/Support
Kits and app_server” team and several folks that aren’t “officially”
members contributed. Way to go, guys!! =) The very simple test has
been checked into the tree under
src/tests/kits/app/messaging/first_light. What was really amazing to me
is once I had written the test, it just *worked*. I didn’t have to
debug *anything*. This stands as a testament to the hard work everyone
has put in and the usefulness of the enormous number of unit tests that
have validated the code throughout development.
There’s still plenty of testing and debugging work left to do, but this
is so exciting to me that I had to share with everybody. I’ve been
waiting and working for this for well over a year, and I’m so stoked I
can barely see straight!
Thank you and good night!
——————————————
Way to go guys.
looks like they got the message (bad pun intended)
i can not wait any more. i am getting a laptop and the deluxe version for christmas. i am glad to hear that you guys are back.
I wouldn’t bother buying Zeta at all. It’s the same thing as using the free R5. Save your money or donate them to someone who needs them like OBOS or buy software from Xentronix instead.
Zeta is really just a R5 with some bloated ports from Linux AFAICT
This must surely be one of the slowest news days for weeks…
That OpenBeOS tidbit should be in the news, but that one is buried in the comments of a no-news item. sigh.
Be is still alive and kickin’… Wohoooooo
It’s not worth the discussion till I put my two cents worth in. About the “shelfware” and “zeta sucks”, none of you know either one.
The only thing that goes on my shelf is good OS’s, btw. And zeta, having commercial intrests, has a different time table than some of you are accustomed to probably.
Zeta is NOT R5 based. I will tell you that. But it is of the same high quality you’d expect from anyone daring to even say “we come close to beos”. Same goes for Obos. Due to the fact the open beos project is an open project, based on the way they are designing their system- then it’s no wonder they can release tons of broken betas(no offense, betas are broken eh?), which, thank GOD won’t ever be considered production quality but if they did, I wouldn’t be suprised 🙂
So, naysay, troll, whatever- just don’t lie, and just don’t discount something because it’s not to your busy troll schedule. I don’t have a paticular fondness for linux based OSBOS distrobutions, but I don’t think they are trying to be one of the flagship projects. Obos and Zeta are. Help them however you can, both of them if able, and understand this- some of the reason that yellowtab has ports(from various sources) is because I put someone in touch with someone else to see into getting it done. But port nonwithstanding, zeta will have all the power they claim in their motto they want you to assume. Get it now?
Obos is a great project, I have talked with many of their people. These people are some of the best free agents in the entire world, and I did take that term from something else- these guys would be my first team pick. Just an example of what I think about the fellas, and their project. Outstanding.
So, say what you will. I will be around…
Why don’t the other two Zeta developers take the opportunity to leave that place and move to London or something… 😉
i can’t wait to see it on the pegasos platform either go openbeos and morhos!
What do you mean only trolls are saying that BeOS is dead? Be OS IS dead! No doubt about it!
What does Beos mean in English?
It means “Be Operating System”. Shouldn’t be too hard to figure out 🙂
Was there any reason to tout the old “Wait and you shall see, Zeta will rock your socks off!”? I’d much more prefer the “Wait and shut up until then!” song. There’s nothing to see yet, neither pro nor con. Please stop this blind zealotry on both sides.
…BeOS is as dead as any OS gets. Sure there are still people using it and developing for it, but there are probably many more people using the Apple IIe or original Amiga in primary education settings and nobody would argue that they weren’t dead.
BeOS fans can enjoy the whole ‘leet counterculture vibe, but don’t get silly.
Well the definition of dead in a biological sense is well defined, but when applying the term to Operating Sytems, it is totally ambigious and more a statement of rhetoric than one of some factual signifance.
As such while your entitled to say its “dead”, you can hardly argue that it must be dead for everyone, at least not without a little more justification.
I have $100 set aside for Zeta this fall. I’m organizing a BeOS convention to be held in Amsterdam. I may even start coding again, or see if I can contribute to the various BeOS projects. The trolls alone should let you know the OS isn’t dead, and it’s a threat to the status quo. Mad props to Yellowtab for doing what we all wish we could do.
New BeOS Convention Announced:
http://www.bedoper.com/bedoper
>more a statement of rhetoric than one of some factual significance
Read what I said: “as dead as any OS gets”. Well, it’s not as dead as Multics (1965) which really died in 2000.
There are still people who think CP/M is a useful OS. People with Apple II systems run ProDos. I just saw that a free version of GEOS has been released. Why would anyone think BeOS is less dead than any of these?
Lithuanian BeOS User Group (LtBUG) is at http://beos.home.lt
User list: http://beos.home.lt/bug/index.html
I have hope that Open/Zeta.. or BeOS ((re)buyed from Palm) will be best OS as BeOS is from it’s born-day
Best wishes for Open/Zeta developers. I think all post-BeOS developers groups must coperate for _ONE_ BeOS. Otherways BeOS died.
I hate 2^N linux distros
Thank you.
On an “OSnews” level (i. e. talking about all the OSes around) it might make sense to discuss if an OS is dead or just smells funny. I think for the guys and girls who´re into BeOS, BUGs and the Online Communities like TBJ on a world wide level, this discussion makes no sense – especially when they´re reading it on their BeOS browser
I think that Obelix puts it perfectly right: There is a lot of stuff happening: OBOS makes incredible progress, Zeta will be released and we all will see how it went at 1.0 level, BUGs and BeOS online forums are vital and are discussing stuff with lots of passion – “classic” BeOS and its successors are absolutely worth to keep an eye on in the future.
If THIS is how Death looks like, then it´s nothing i have to be afraid of
There’s also Brazilian BeOS User Group, the BUG-BR. Here’s the link http://www.bug-br.org.br (English version onyl trough babel fish).
Take a look around
We hope Zeta and OBOS bring life to BeOS.
Regards.
>..BeOS is as dead as any OS gets. Sure there are still >people using it and developing for it, but there are >probably many more people using the Apple IIe or original >Amiga in primary education settings and nobody would argue >that they weren’t dead.
Probably is a good word to use, but then a blanket statement of ‘nobody would argue’ is rather untrue. If that were the case, then there would be no discussion on the matter at all.
>There are still people who think CP/M is a useful OS. >People with Apple II systems run ProDos. I just saw that a >free version of GEOS has been released. Why would anyone >think BeOS is less dead than any of these?
The answer is simple. None of the systems you mentioned run natively on modern hardware, except of coure, BeOS. That my friend, is how you can distinguish between them. When you cook up an Apple II with an AGP port and AthlonXP or Pentium 4 support, you let me know, because you will have brought it back from the dead.
>None of the systems you mentioned run natively on modern >hardware, except of coure, BeOS.
Incorrect.
AFAIK, all of them run on modern hardware via emulation. I help out at a local school, and the school system makes much use of old Apple II education programs running on new macs and PCs. Probably more users right there (real + emulation) than of BeOS.
I really don’t mean to bash BeOS. It was interesting and influential, but even when it had it’s chance, very few people cared.
…BeOS is as dead as any OS gets. Sure there are still people using it and developing for it, but there are probably many more people using the Apple IIe or original Amiga in primary education settings and nobody would argue that they weren’t dead.
And…..? As a BeOS, why should I care?
BeOS fans can enjoy the whole ‘leet counterculture vibe, but don’t get silly.
Forgive me if I’m misinterpreting, but that has the feel of the ‘ol “People only run BeOS because it’s not Windows” spiel. Speaking for myself, that couldn’t be further from the truth (well, it could, but you’d have to be creative about it – eg “People only use BeOS because they have a fetish for the colour yellow”). I use it on my home computer because it serves my needs better than any other OS. If an OS were to come along tomorrow that did what I wanted better, faster, and simpler than BeOS, I’d switch in a second.
Idealistc brand loyalty to complex strings of 1s and 0s is idiotic.
And…..? As a BeOS, why should I care?
Should be “As a BeOS USER…”. Damned sleep deprivation.
Shut up!
Please, shut up at LEAST until you can show a _RELEASED_ OS
that ‘normal’ users like myself can download and either run
from cd, something BeOS has always been good at or that will
expire in 30 days from its burn date or some other such way
to demonstrate that you actually have a working breathing OS
that will run on my and others hardware.
Until then all the constant stream of announcements and ect
are doing is making more and more people sure that Zeta is
vaporware–much like the vaporware of RealPc..people who
have been waiting, wanting, lusting after having a beautiful
OS like BeOS that ‘just’ runs and runs smoothly are becoming
tired of these constant ‘Real Soon Now’ (TM) announcements
and with the constant hype and the continual delays we are
getting _very_ cynical!!!
So PLEASE, do us and yourselves a favor–SHUT UP until you
have something for us to actually try that works on our
machines.
Sincerely,
iWindoze
I do think that iWindoze has a point to a degree, one of yellowtabs biggest failings is in the realm of PR. I don’t care what Bernd says its a definate gap in the yellowtab arsenal and one that should have been plugged a while back.
I personally feel that YT does have a fighting chance if they can get their act together and release before christmas this year. I don’t know, perhaps its just me but I can feel something in the air that feels like change is comming.
BeOS’s biggest current problem is not that it needs a goodly amount of overhauling, but that some of its user/fan base needs to be given a damned good kicking and told to sort themselves out. This isn’t true of all the BeOS users I’ve chatted to, but a small minority whose goal appears to be ripping to peaces every single snippet of information that comes out. (Funnily, its often these same people who start the YT is dead type rumours when they don’t get their feed of new info to pick apart). But I cannot simply lay the problem at their feet, since it is YT’s initial blunders that have caused them to come into being in the first place…
All of this because the moment BeOS was mentioned all the old stuff got blown into the air… Sad really.
I hope the german user group is healthy and stays so 😀
Hmm, might just have to go to the next Begiest <sp?>
>None of the systems you mentioned run natively on modern >hardware, except of coure, BeOS.
>Incorrect.
>AFAIK, all of them run on modern hardware via emulation.
Natively. That’s the important word. So, NOT incorrect.
Thanks, for seeing my point.
Let’s hope that Bernd will finally ‘get’ it! ;P