Six Billion Dollar Mistake Vista Launch!

Microsoft finally admits their 6 billion dollar mistake!

Jerry & Bill Deliciously Gay?

Is that what this weird commercial is trying to convey or something else? Will this help prop up Vista's horrible image to customers? Watch it, see Gate's little wiggle at the end and judge.



When we took over A4D at the end of December 2007 we stated we were not focusing on a Windows version and predicted the slow death of Windows. Now it looks like

The New York Times Agrees: Microsoft Windows Toast

Article Link


The world of Windows is looking more dated and strange everyday.

Even Thieves Don't want Vista!

IT News had a funny but true article about a stolen laptop. A laptop running Linux was stolen but the criminals did not want the more expensive Windows Vista laptops and left them behind. Full article via the link below.

Thieves don't want Vista

NVISION 08 Started Today

Jen-Hsun Huang (co-founder of Nvidia) kicked off NVISION 08 today speaking about the leaps and bounds GPU's have taken in the last 10 years.

"Few technologies have made the leaps that the GPU has over the past 10 years. Years ago, the GPU was really just an accelerator, an application-specific integrated circuit. Now it's a general purpose parallel computing processor," said Jen-Hsun. We plan to take advantage of GPU's in future versions of Aladdin 4D.

:)



Link Below

NVISION 08

Too Many Cooks In the Kitchen!

The Senior VP in charge of Windows 7 development, has just posted some details on the Microsoft's Windows 7 Engineering blog on what the internal structure looks like for the upcoming OS. It sounds (at least to us) equal parts logistical nightmare and brute force "1000 monkeys at 1000 typewriters", with 25 teams divided up to an average of 40 developers per team. More info via the link below.


Windows 7

One Third of New PCs Downgraded To XP?

"More than one in every three new PCs is downgraded from Windows Vista to Windows XP, either at the factory or by the buyer, said performance and metrics researcher Devil Mountain Software, which operates a community-based testing network. Full article linked below.






Windows XP Article

Computer World Article

According to the article linked below computer manufactures like Dell are giving Windows the boot to increase performance and please customers. The future of computers is all about web access, muti-platform apps and getting things done not dominating the industry with one operating system.




Computer World Article

Punished for Doing 3D on Windows?

Realsoft 3D has been in the 3D software animation business for many years. They started by developing Real 3D version one on the Amiga platform. The current version of this very powerful animation program is 600 Euro for the Windows version. Economically it pays to buy and use one of the other versions. You can save half your money buying the Mac OS X version, even more if you get the Linux version.

Using Windows for 3D can punish the wallet it seems.

Realsoft 3D Pricing Page

NVIDIA Shows Interactive Ray Tracing on GPUs

Breaking news from SIGGRAPH 2008, Interactive real-time ray tracing using NVIDA GPU's. In the graphics world, ray tracing is a technique used to generate an image by tracing the rays or paths of light as they bounce through and around the objects in a scene. When done right, ray tracing can produce photorealistic imagery because shadows are cast correctly, water and other materials show proper reflections with correct coloring, and lighting in general just looks more realistic. The problem with ray tracing is that the algorithms necessary for producing photorealistic imagery are very complex and require much more compute power than is available in today's PCs, if the imagery is to be rendered in real-time, at a high enough frame rate to produce fluid motion, i.e. for gaming. Full news at the link below.

NVIDA SIGGRAPH Demo

Windows Vista, What a Disaster!

When MS shipped Windows Vista in 2007 they thought everyone would just lap it up and make them more billions. Now over 1 1/2 years later people still avoid Vista like the plague. You can only fool customers so long and make them part with their money. Looks like the honeymoon period is over for Windows. Giving customers an expensive operating system that does less then their used to and charging a premium for it won't win you any fans.

The continued failure of Vista in the marketplace gives us confidence that we made the right decision of not focusing on the Windows version of Aladdin 4D. Windows is slowly dying. Don't be sad, it's just business. Roughly Drafted Magazine has more detail information about the nightmare that is Windows Vista at the link below.

RoughlyDrafted Magazine

VmwAROS 85,000 Downloads

A few months ago VmwAROS reached a great milestone, over 85,000 downloads! It's awesome that so many people are learning about and enjoying AROS on VMware virtual machines. Learn more about VmwAROS & VMware solutions from the links below. A wealth of new exciting operating systems are available to everyone if they take the time to explore them.



VMware

VmwAROS

An Operating System of Convenience

One of the reasons that we don't focus more effort on the Windows version of Aladdin 4D is that it is not an operating system of convenience. Sure Windows is everywhere and everyone uses it for now but it is not very convenient or loved. People use it because they have to not because they want to. With the dangers of virus, spyware and adware infections, configuration nightmares and the horror story that is Windows Vista expect Windows use to continue to plummet in the coming years.

These problems with Windows have given rise to more convenient operating systems like Mac OS X. The years 2006-2008 have been record sales years for machines running OS X from Apple. Believe it or not this helps operating systems like AROS, MorphOS & Amiga OS 4.1 because it breaks the cycle of Windows dependance and opens up peoples minds to other choices. Amiga inspired operating systems with thier lighting fast boot times and ease of use are convenant and friendly to customers.

Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery

Microsoft followed our lead and they too are giving away a Windows 3D animation program for free. They also know the true value of Windows (-$0) it seems and are trying to prop it up with no cost animation software and hurt other 3D animation software companies at the same time. Our offer of a free Aladdin 4D for Windows comes at a price, you must buy one of the other versions and are given the Windows version for free as a bonus because you just might have a Windows machine lying around. Microsoft's offer of a free 3D animation program is a poison pill meant to chain you to the Windows empire forever.

The Four Headsmen of Amiga

The first time around when the Amiga was doing things other computers never even thought of doing, Ray-traced 3D animation, stereo sound, bit blitter graphics, multitasking, etc, the Amiga lost out in the platform wars. Even the Mac lost out and was replace in name alone with a much more powerful hybrid. A NeXT, FreeBSD, Unix based operating system (Mac OS X). This time around the Amiga is not alone and has four headsmen; MorphOS, Amiga OS 4.1, AROS, Amiga virtual machine (Amiga Forever 2008). The IT industry is still young and at least one or more of these will rise again and be enjoyed by millions. The Amiga itself sold over 7 million machines and it was an exciting time. How many versions of the four headsmen of the Amiga will sell in the future is unknown but we hope for exciting times again. Innovative Developers and users will make it happen this time not a solo greedy parent company. We know who you were thinking but we meant Commodore.

Amiga OS 4.1 Has Gone Gold, Congrats to the Team

According to an article on amigaworld.net (link below) Amiga OS 4.1 went gold on August 5th, 2008. Congratulations to the Amiga OS 4.1 development team for all your hard work. Amiga OS 4 is a fantastic update to the classic Amiga operating system.


News Article

Aladdin 4D Available Again

The Aladdin 4D Special Sale for $69.95 has ended but the package is available again for the regular price of $99.95 via the Buy link below. Aladdin 4D runs in real time on Amiga Forever 2008 from Cloanto. Rub the Lamp, Render the Magic.

The Aladdin 4D Sale is Over

The 48 hour sale for Aladdin 4D is now over. We want to thank everyone that participated. Please expect your Aladdin 4D in 1-2 weeks.

Sale is Almost Over, Last Chance to Save

Our sale price for the current version of Aladdin 4D will be ending in just a few hours. If your interested in using this unique 3D animation package please act now.

Aladdin 4D 48 Hour Special Sale

We are running a special price on the current version of Aladdin 4D. Normally A4D sells for $99.95 plus shipping, for the next 48 hours this product will only be $69.95 and will included free worldwide shipping.

Aladdin 4D works great on classic Amiga's, Amiga Video Toaster based systems and especially virtual Amiga environments like Amiga Forever from Cloanto running AmiKit. In fact reviews state that rendering times for Aladdin 4D are almost instant in Amiga virtual machines like Amiga Forever.

Aladdin 4D is the last commercial Amiga 3D animation program available that is in active development for Amiga OS 4.0, MorphOS, AROS, and Amiga virtual machines. This does not have to be the case though, we welcome competition and a vibrant active 3rd party community on Amiga and Amiga like systems. Your support of Aladdin 4D insures faster development of this unique program created by Greg Gorby. A4D is a great introduction to the 3D animation software industry. Anyone that purchases Aladdin 4D that buys LightWave 3D within one year gets a $50 credit towards LW3D from us. Aladdin 4D can be purchased from the link below. Rub the Lamp, Render the Magic. The smoke stops coming out of the lamp on July 29th, 2008 and this sale ends then.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=2858192

Congratulations to Hyperion Entertainment on the Announcement of Amiga OS 4.1

We wanted to congratulated Hyperion Entertainment on their announcement of Amiga OS 4.1. We look forward to buying it when it's available and enjoying the new exciting features. Read the announcement from the link below.

OS 4.1 Press Release

The Impact is Now!

Congratulations to the MorphOS Team for releasing MorphOS 2.0 today. It looks like a feature rich and exciting upgrade to this Amiga like operating system. MorphOS can be purchased from the link below.




MorphOS 2.0 Site

What's in a Name?

We want to personally thank everyone that submitted name ideas for the Aladdin 4D Genie girl. It's going to be a hard decision to pick one since there were so many good submissions. Aladdin 4D is our new baby so we want to be careful and pick the right one. Don't be disappointed if we don't choose the name you sent us, we may use it later with another character and any name we use gets the submitter $100. Thanks again for all the great name ideas, look for a final choice in the next 1-3 months.

Aladdin 4D & the iPhone?

We thought it was fitting to mention a little Aladdin 4D secret we have been keeping since a new iPhone ships Monday. It is no secret that DiscreetFX will release a version of Aladdin 4D for Mac OS X. But what everyone does not know is that the render engine of A4D has been ported to the iPhone which is also OS X based. Why would we do this? You will be able to render your Aladdin 4D scenes on the go with your phone. After that who knows what the future might bring.

This iPhone renderer will be included with each version of Aladdin 4D that we sell. Just a little extra bonus feature for our customers. We hope that you will like it.

The Genie is out of the Bottle but She Needs a Name!

The Genie is finally out of the bottle. That's right Aladdin 4D now has it's own virtual character as part of a new branding campain. The problem is that she does not yet have a name. We are asking for help from the Aladdin 4D community to name her. There is $100 in it for you as well as a lifetime of free A4D upgrades on all platforms. In addition you will get your name in the Aladdin 4D credits. How about it everyone? Submit your suggestions to the Aladdin 4D forums please and or e-mail.

Aladdin 4D SDK Now on Aminet

We have placed the Aladdin 4D SDK on Aminet for all developers to enjoy. We are not sure why Nova Design never did this but there is a new sheriff in town now!

Please download it from the following direct link. Don't forget to give us your feedback!

Aladdin 4D SDK

Nice mini review of Aladdin 4D runnning under Amiga Forever

A great mini review of Aladdin 4D is on the Team Amiga website thanks to rednova. He is running A4D via a very fast Amiga Virtual Machine on a 2Ghz PC. This allows Aladdin scenes to render in just a few seconds per frame even with the most complex settings. Thanks for taking time to write the review rednova. This is a great way to keep the Aladdin 4D spirit alive and keep using the software until a new version is released. Of course A4D also works great with the new version of Amiga Forever 2008 that just came out.

Aladdin 4D mini review

Vewy vewy quiet

We are sorry things are very quiet on the Aladdin 4D front as of late. We are working hard to resolve some things and hopefully will have some news for you later this year. If you have any questions or concerns feel free to leave us a message on the Aladdin 4D forums. If you want to buy the current Amiga version of Aladdin 4D feel free to contact our sales department.

The Microsoft Cabinet of Caligari

Todays announcement that Microsoft purchased Caligari Corporation and their 3D animation package Truespace gave us an old feeling of Deja Vu. This is not the first time Microsoft has purchased a 3D company, they tried this in 1996 when they acquired SoftImage. Blame it on the French if you want but that marriage only lasted for two years before Microsoft sold SoftImage at a loss.

Like a silent movie remake who knows if this latest release will be good or bad for the industry. Last time around SGI was so afraid of the SoftImage purchase that they bought Alias and Wavefront and merged them into what later became Maya. Life has a funny way of doing unexpected things like that. How will this affect Aladdin 4D? It won't, we will keep pushing forward and yes the Windows version will still be lowest on our list. But like a old horror movie you will not know the end of this story until we are further into the plot.

Google News Link

Amiga Nowhere?

A customer asked us today if there will be a version of Aladdin 4D for Amiga Anywhere 2. Rumor has it this is available now for select developers. We are not really pro or anti Amiga Inc, instead we are pro results. Amiga Incorporated has a long track record of promising big but delivering little. It has harmed the Amiga brand and the Amiga market. In fact we got a good deal on Aladdin 4D because of the harm they have done to Nova Design's market. The key to Amiga Anywhere going anywhere but nowhere is 3rd party developers like DiscreetFX.

The classic Amiga's installed base of customers is huge compared to Amiga Anywheres installed base. If Amiga Inc. want Aladdin 4D on AA2 they will have to provide us with a real SDK. Don't wait for us to sign up or come calling Amiga Inc. because it will not happen. If you pay for Aladdin 4D to be ported to AA2 and if you beg it might happen. We will not be holding our breath or waiting by the phone for your call. Soon you will have owned Amiga as long as Commodore. Commodore went out of business but they did do something with Amiga that you have never done. They sold millions and millions of them. This created a vibrant 3rd party developer community. Without a vibrant 3rd party developer community for Amiga Anywhere 2 it is already dead. Amiga Inc. should be busting its ass trying to create this now, but we fear the odds of this happening is about the same as the Easter Bunny (Oschter Haws) being real. We will not be waiting for the Easter Bunny's call either but we would expect it before Amiga Inc's call.

Screwmiga

We bring up the Amiga from time to time in this Blog since that is the platform that Aladdin 4D runs on at the moment. It is important to mention that when we discuss Amiga we are taking about the Amiga in a classic sense and not Amiga Inc. the current company in charge. Time will prove if what they are doing works out or not but it is not the Amiga even if it is called Amiga Anywhere.


The Amiga community and Amiga Inc. have had some disagreements in the past over this old vs new ideology. If Amiga Inc. expects the platform to succeed under their leadership they should respect the community that has grown up around the Amiga over the years. The Classic Amiga sold millions of machines, the current Amiga Inc. has never sold millions of Amiga Anywhere solutions. Until they do it would be best if they looked to the Amiga's past for wisdom since that is what made the Amiga brand successful.

Certain Death Avoided

Because DiscreetFX grabbed the remnants of Aladdin 4D and its related IP and source code it got to avoid a common phenomenon in the Amiga software marketplace, certain death. Usually what happens is a developer goes out of business taking its 3D animation product with it, this happened with Tornado 3D and Expert 3D. Or a developer runs from the Amiga marketplace and all of its drama never to return, like Cinema 4D and Calagari TrueSpace.

Since everyone at DiscreetFX is Amiga/MorphOS/AROS fans we would like to avoid both grim circumstances. The return of Aladdin 4D is in process but fans of Amiga and this classic 3D package can help. If there are features you would like to see please let us know. If you always wanted to buy the program but never did please take the plunge. If there are things about the package that you don't like or never liked we want to know that too. Reincarnation can be a tricky business and if you can help please do.

Shades of Grey

Aladdin 4D's current interface supports 24 bit displays but the interface itself is mostly greyscale. This of course betrays its origins as an Amiga 3D animation application. You would never know it by looking at the current versions of LightWave, Cinema 4D & Truespace but they also had greyscale interfaces at one time. Aladdin 4D will too abandon its grey look and will become more modern. We will touch base with its installed userbase as this progresses and have example images of the new interface on this blog for all to review.

The tool bar will also get a face lift and be more exciting. We are looking for an artist in fact to paint those icons in a new modern glory. The fun has just started Aladdin 4D fans!

Hand in the Cookie Jar

What hurt Aladdin 4D before the DiscreetFX acquisition was "Hand in the Cookie Jar Syndrome". What this means is that cookies or money kept flowing out of the jar but were never put back in (R&D). This lack of research and development can work wonders for profits in the short run but can be a call of death to a software package long term. We are not dumb asses and know modernizing Aladdin 4D will take a lot of work.

Because of this fact we vow that for the first 18 months of the Aladdin 4D take over we will take zero profits from all sales. All money flowing in will go towards development, modernization, interface upgrades, advertising and paying Aladdin 4D's bills. To be totally honest the current state of affairs for the package when we took over were pretty bleak. We have yet to even sell one copy of Aladdin 4D ourselves which did surprise us a little. We thought that maybe a few Amiga fans would support us since we saved one of their software packages from certain death.

We are fine with the current state of affairs though since we are on this roller coaster ride for the long term. If you like Aladdin 4D though and are excited what the future will bring don't be a stranger.

Until Death Do Us Part

Todays average computer user replaces their machine about every three years. If they are using Windows maybe even sooner, once it slows way down because too many applications have been installed or it has a major spyware and or virus infection running rampant. Mac OS X users may keep there system a little longer but eventually OS X upgrades no longer work on old hardware after 3-4 years. Amiga owners though keep using their machines literately until the silicon wears out or the battery becomes so old it leaks on the motherboard. It speaks volumes about the quality of the product and the value the users see in it. The founder of DiscreetFX has an Amiga 1000 is his possession that was donated to us after its owner passed away.

That owner had the machine on every single day since he purchased it. The time line for this was 1985-2006, over twenty years. We tested the machine today to install a compact flash card in it. The machine booted right up and works flawlessly. This is the rich heritage that Aladdin 4D comes from. When we first took Aladdin over there was a vocal minority that called for the Amiga version to be laid to rest. For the focus to switch to Windows and Mac. When we asked this vocal minority why they want the Amiga version killed they don't really provide a good reason to do it. They mentioned that other 3D animation programs that came from Amiga adopted this policy but what does that prove? Future sales of Aladdin 4D will be generated more by listening to customers and adding features they want then platform choices. The risks and ROI generated by A4D is equally split anyway. We don't do accounting based on operating systems. Unless a Genie comes out of the lamp and grants a wish to see the future we can't even tell how many will sell. It could sell one unit or a million.

If sales are low at first we won't blame the Amiga or run away, we will just work harder on the next version. We will always look at that A1000 still puring away after all these years and strive to build a product like that, something customers love. The Amiga should inspire us all.

On the Hunt for 3D Software

We are on a hunt. Not a safari hunt but a hunt for old and new 3D animation software. Some things we already have like the latest version of Aladdin 4D, we have lots of those. We also have Sculpt Animated 4D, The Amiga Video Toaster version of LightWave 3D and a few others. What we don't have is early versions of Aladdin 4D for our historical library. We need those and are willing to pay for them.

If you have other packages you would like to get rid of please contact us via the Aladdin 4D forums.We will let you know if we need what your selling. You might be surprised how much you can get for your old 3D software thats collecting dust.

Whats in the Lamp?

It came as a great surprise to us that all the years Adspec Programming and then Nova Design owned Aladdin 4D they never opened the lamp to see what is inside. We are in the process of doing just that and you will be very surprised what we find. Anyone that can guess what it is before we tell the world can get a copy of Aladdin 4D for free.

Pounce of the Leopard

Apple has made great inroads with the Mac since they allowed the old Mac to die and be reborn via a unix FreeBSD/Next kernel. Apple almost died a horrible death like Commodore. Unlike Commdore they understood this before it was too late and gave control of the company back to one of the original founders. Who knows what today's Amiga would look like if it too was given back to its creators.

Mac OX X Leopard bears little resemblance to OS 9.0 and this is a very good thing. Even todays Mac hardware has shed its Motorola and PowerPC heritage and runs on Intel hardware. The great thing about this is that Windows is regulated to guest operating system status. Sure Windows can be step up and run full speed but its not encourage or required. Mac OS 9.0 can no longer be run via an Apple solution so the divorce from old Mac to new is complete. Of course Apple has seen record growth and is a Wall Street darling now. The post Windows era is upon us and customers are now open to options beyond Windows. Mac OS X is now used more in Japan then Windows. The shift away from Windows will continue and that is why we don't focus on the Windows version of Aladdin 4D. The OS X version though is a very important piece of Aladdin 4D's future and growth.

Amiga Shockwave

When Commodore died in 1994 it sent a shockwave through the Amiga professional software market. Developers went out of business or ported their applications to other platforms at the speed of light. It was a very sad day to be an Amiga owner with a large investment in creative software and hardware. Our founder was in such a situation. He vowed though if given the chance he would help the market if the shoe was ever on the other foot.

He got his chance a few years later when the Video Toaster consulting company he founded morphed into digital video effects software development. The promise has been kept at DiscreetFX till this day. While it is true that we develop for Windows and other operating systems we have never let the dream die. The Amiga is always brought up in a positive light. Amiga and AROS bounties are supported. The Amiga is still proudly mentioned on the website. An effort was even made in 2006 with investors to purchase the rights to the Amiga itself. The goal has always been to create another shockwave but this time in the other direction. With Aladdin 4D we have a chance at that shockwave. If Aladdin 4D can be upgraded and made native on Amiga OS 4.0, MorphOS & AROS it can be a glowing example of fast professional native 3D software that users of those operating systems can be proud of. OS 4.0/MorphOS/AROS have no native commercial 3D software available for them today.

They do have products like PageStream 5.0 Pro & HollyWood 3 and every application counts. These products must be supported if a professional creative market is to be reborn on Amiga systems. We will work hard to keep the dream alive and hope other developers will join in. Even 3D animation software developers. Competition is good and makes a vibrant and alive 3rd party software market. At the end of the day it does not really matter who the IP holder of Amiga is or what they do. What matters more is what 3rd party developers do. The Amiga market has matured to a level that one company no longer matters. The community is what matters most of all. We will work hard to do our part, will you?

The Hunt for Greg Gorby

While we embark on our quest of evaluating and updating Aladdin 4D for the modern world we thought it would be best to contact someone that might like to have a say. It could be true that Greg Gorby is no longer alive or if he is he may not have any interest in Aladdin 4D and that would be fine. But since it was his baby at one point in his life and was the basis for his company Adspec Programming. We wanted to give him a voice on where he would like to see Aladdin 4D in 2008. What were his dreams for the package, how does he feel about the way 3D animation software has progressed? Without Greg we probably would not be writing this blog.

If anyone one talks with Greg on a regular bases or knows how to contact him please let us know. If he is interested we would like to know his feelings on Aladdin 4D. He is from Ohio and probably still lives there so we don't mind stopping by and buying lunch or dinner for him and his family.

Kiss of Death

One of the first things we did when we took over Aladdin 4D was to develop a multi-platform strategy for the relaunch. We had always believed that limiting the user base to only Amiga customers was holding it back. But while it may have been a sin to make Aladdin 4D available only on Amiga OS it is an equal sin for products like Caligari TrueSpace to only be on Windows. 3D animation software is such a niche and has such a artistic but sometimes fickle customer base, to assure success it must be on more platforms. By limiting your package to only Amiga or even Windows is a sure Kiss of Death. Of course you could take the multi-platform approach that Cinema 4D or LightWave takes and make your product available on Windows & Mac. Or you can go a little further like Maya does and have a Linux version as well. But why stop there? We have an idea of a future world where customer choice is king and computer platforms are not as limited as they are today. By making your product available for platforms that are just reemerging like Amiga OS 4.0 or MorphOS you may just discover a new technique or tool set you might have otherwise missed.

By also making your products available on something new like AROS you may just be surprised what loyal new customers and feedback you get. By giving these obscure but exciting platforms a chance you might just give your application a chance to be successful and not die. It's good to help others and support their hard working efforts. We hope that by being this brave and supporting these additional platforms we can be a catalyst for change. It shows a great appreciation for the customer when you allow them to use your package in such a flexible way. Maybe they have a new idea for a model or animation and started creating it at home on their Amiga. On their break at work they can continue to work on it or finish on Windows. Maybe their friend has a Mac and they want to work on it at their house or show whats being created.

The computer platform will be blurred and Aladdin 4D and it's set of software tools become the focus of new animations the customer is creating. In that type of creative unlimiting environment maybe the next great animated feature can be born. Aladdin 4D avoided the Kiss of Death of course but it was a close call. At one point paramedics were called in.

Deeeeeep in Thought

Our founder is currently deep in thought and evaluating other low-end 3D animation software packages to see the best place Aladdin 4D fits in. There is a definite gap and digital divide for customers new to 3D software. A careful balance has to be struck between interesting features but not overwhelming complexity. Many computer users avoid 3D animation software all together because they feel it is too hard to use. Aladdin 4D changed that for Amiga customers and we plan to do it again for additional operating systems. We plan on making it even easier to use.