Paul Beverley
The total change of atmosphere in the RISC�OS community within the last month has been quite staggering. A month ago, we didn't know whether the whole thing would continue at all because, at that stage, RISCOS Ltd had not secured a licence agreement with E-14, and that was the key without which there was no future for RISC�OS.
Now that RISCOS Ltd have that licence, a whole raft of projects has come to light. The details of some of them are still being kept secret, and your beloved editor is bursting with more information than he's allowed to reveal - how frustrating - but next month more can be revealed.
I've asked Lyle Johnson to cover the software aspects of the future of RISC�OS, and so in this article, I'm going to concentrate on the hardware. For this, I have spent time talking to a whole range of different companies. I'll tell you about those projects whose details are already in the public domain, and drop a few tantalising hints about those that aren't!
Altogether, I know of six different computer projects that are at various stages of development and publicity. Some of the companies involved are even hoping to have prototypes on show at Wakefield (May 15/16th) or if they can't meet that deadline, then maybe the Acorn Expo (Holland, June 5th). One has plans for as many as six different RISC�OS computers by the end of 1999, though it obviously depends on what sales they make on their first one (whose spec sounds very impressive!).
One other company (CTL) has managed to produce a computer that is being shipped even as we speak - it's only their own version of the A7000+, but at least it means there are still computers you can buy now - which is important for keeping the schools' market alive. But keep your eyes open, because there will soon be RISC�OS computers available with far superior spec and lower prices than the A7000+!
Before I give you more details, I would like to make a general plea on behalf of the companies concerned. Please, please, please do not contact them to ask them when, where, how much, etc. Can you imagine the effect of hundreds or thousands of Archive subscribers inundating them with emails, calls and letters? Yes, that's right - the whole project would grind to a halt! And even if you think you have some absolutely vital piece of information that they need to know in order to get the specification right, or the casing, or the marketing, please just hesitate before contacting them. Ask yourself if they would really not have thought of your idea, given that each of these companies is dealing with a project worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Consider the following equation:
(Acorn - Element14) = Spare RISC OS skills
I don't think skill-shortage is the problem that would stop any of these projects - money-shortage and time-shortage, maybe, but I'm sure they are sufficiently skilled.
On the other hand, if you've got a few thousand pounds to invest, I'm sure that many of these companies would forgive you for disturbing their work patterns briefly!
Anyway, let's get down to the details of what I'm allowed to tell you about each company.
For their own high-end graphics systems, Millipede want as powerful a RISC�OS workstation as they can get, so they are well ahead with plans to produce a replacement motherboard for the RiscPC. We have a tentative spec sheet but, as with all these sorts of projects, things could change before it gets to the production stage. They would like to have a prototype to show at Wakefield, but it will be touch and go. They are hoping that these boards will be in full production by the end of the year.
More details next month - make sure you come to the Wakefield Show or the Dutch Acorn Expo to find out more about the range of machines being prepared.
I have spoken to David Atkinson who is still keen to go ahead with "a number of very exciting RISC�OS-based products". More details as they emerge.
The only company to actually have anything to sell at this stage is CTL. They have had the first production batch of their own brew A7000+ computers. Nothing new, I agree, but it means there are good supplies of at least one RISC�OS computer to keep things going until newer, more exciting technology becomes available.
RiscPCs, however, are more of a problem. No more are being made at the moment, but CTL say that Element-14 have 'found' another batch of RiscPCs - what a way to run a business! - CTL reckon they won't last long at the rate they are selling, and may even be all gone by the time you read this.
Remembering how old the RiscPC is (first production runs were early 1994), it's more than likely that some of its components will be becoming obsolete, so making more RiscPCs might involve a partial redesign of the motherboard - not something that CTL would take on lightly, knowing that Millipede and others are snapping at their heels with technology that was actually designed to take advantage of StrongARM's capabilities, let alone StrongARM 2 and/or ARM 10.
One company is even looking to take Millipede's motherboards and make them available in a suitable casing as a new stand-alone StrongARM computer.
The plans for the RISC�OS portable are still going ahead as strongly as ever, especially now that the licensing of RISC�OS is going to be a lot easier for them. There is also talk of an improved colour spec over the prototype that many of us saw at the various Acorn shows during 1998, and of the inclusion of RISC�OS 4.
This is a project based in Wolfsburg, Germany, which has been advertised on the internet (http://members.tripod.de/galileo/). To quote the site:
Galileo is to become a new computer system that does not suffer from the trouble legacy of the old PC time. No year-2000-problem, no 16-bit� predecessors, virus immune, highly efficient and nevertheless small footprint operating system.There will be special configurations and offers for price for schools and universities. Because of the maintenance-free operating system, the machine can be used by students without any danger to its integrity.
Professional users get a future-proof platform with very low power consumption and high performance. RISC OS that is optimised for the the ARM processors is getting the best out this�future proof system, all to the benefit of the user. Add to that the natural and very simple operation.
The OS is installed in ROMs, so that it cannot be attacked by viruses, or inadvertently deleted. A fast boot of the computer (just a few seconds) is the result and your hard drive does not get consumed by the operating system.
You can�expand them at any time with special modules, and have them active without reboot! An update of the OS can, of course, be made. That happens by exchanging the socket mounted ROM chips within 3 to 5 minutes - ready!
There will be a lot of Galileo models. The StrongARM (280MHz) for cheap network- and office-solution, and the future ARM1020 for power-users! All models with PCI-Bus, SDRAM and a fast graphic-sound chipset.
We don't yet know whether this is a serious contender, but the website does ask for financial backers. This suggests to me that they might not be quite as far advanced in their plans as some of the UK companies. As soon as we get more definite information, we'll let you know.
A number of folk in the RISC�OS community have done some lateral thinking and come up with an alternative to the model of a purely (Strong)ARM-based computer as a way of running RISC�OS. The idea is based on a PCI card, already designed and built by Simtec, which carries a StrongARM and 64Mb RAM and which can be plugged into any computer with a PCI bus. Their own application for these cards is not RISC�OS-based, but a couple of companies have been looking at using those cards to provide a way of running RISC�OS software on a PC. However, these projects don't look too healthy at the moment.
The leader of the RiscCard project has decided that it's not financially viable, especially in view of all these new ARM-based machines on the go. His feeling was that the profit margin was not sufficient, given the limited size of the potential market.
Jason Tribbeck writes...
Sadly, the ChiOS and ChiBER project, to bring a RISC OS equivalent operating system and an ARM processor card to a PCI architecture system (such as a PC) has been put on hold.This is due to the sudden departure of the main fundholder and, since the amount of money required to complete the project is high, the project has been suspended indefinitely until a suitable fundholder (or fundholders) has been found.
I will still be answering emails on [email protected], so if anyone has any questions, feel free to ask.
Check out http://www.chios.org.uk/ if you want more information.
So the project isn't dead, but it does sound a little moribund!
So what is the future for RISC�OS? I wish I knew. I can say though that the signs at the moment look very encouraging, with six different companies saying they are intending to launch RISC�OS computers during 1999/2000. The Wakefield Acorn Show is going to be a-buzz on May 15/16th, as there are a number of other projects due to be launched there, as well as the computers mentioned above. I do hope you can make it - if not, don't worry - we'll keep you informed.
Author: Paul Beverley
Published: Archive 12.8, May 1999.