The Blue Butterfly will soon land on the MacMini!

Many of you already know the blue butterfly is set to land on PowerPC MacMini's very soon. This is exciting news and extends MorphOS to more mainstream hardware. Apple sold millions of PPC MacMini's but now focuses their efforts on Intel Mac's. This abandoned platform architecture is a great place for MorphOS 3.0 to land on. The more places the butterfly lands the more people that will get a chance to enjoy the MorphOS version of Aladdin 4D.

Linux we Love You!

We wanted to take a moment and officially announce that we are going to release a Linux version of Aladdin 4D in the future. We were a little on the fence about this when we announced the Aladdin 4D acquisition and we apologize for that. Linux is an important part of Aladdin 4D's future and it's a great OS. Many of our old customers have asked for this since they are now using Linux as their primary operating system. The Multi-Platform strategy of Aladdin 4D allows us to support diverse operating systems this way. Of course we would feel evil and strange selling a Windows version so you will always get that version for free when you buy one of the other operating system A4D's including Linux.

More Mind's Eye Inspiration

After The Software Wars

A fascinating view on the possible future of software by Keith Curtis. Keith is a vetern programmer and shares his views on software development and it's future.

Book Description:

Given the technology that's already available, we should have cars that drive us around, in absolute safety, while we lounge in the back and sip champagne. This book explains how we can build better software and all get our own high-tech chauffeur.

Link to Buy Book

After The Software Wars

Netbooks killing off sickly Windows PC sales

We would like to wrap up our week discussing Netbooks which will be an important platform for the Linux version of Aladdin 4D. Our No Microsoft week won't start until Monday so expect a little Windows mention in the article linked below. As time races to the future Windows becomes less and less relevant to emerging computer markets.





Link

Netbooks

No Microsoft Week Coming Up!

Next week we are declaring a non-Microsoft week. What that means is the Aladdin 4D Blog will only discuss issues that are not about Microsoft. Maybe we will talk about..... Aladdin 4D for example. It should be a fun and informative week.

Stay Tuned...................







Link

Windows

Microsoft sued over profiteering from XP downgrades!

Talk about sticking it to the customer during hard economic times. Want a new computer with Windows XP? If it's not a Netbook Microsoft will make you pay even more for it. They claim the extra cost is because you have rights to a higher end version of Vista, like Ultimate for example. But.... hello!!! Microsoft the customer does not want any version of Vista, ever! That is why they are requesting XP. Finally a brave woman is suing them over this ridiculous practice. MS is trying to spin it that they don't profit from downgrades but do you believe that? Congrats to Emma Alvarado for being brave enough to seek justice on this stupid money grubbing tactic. Crazy stuff like this reinforces the fact that we are on the right track not selling a version of Aladdin 4D for Windows.


Microsoft Getting Sued Again

Windows Plague!

A new Windows worm has been making the rounds on the internet. Last count was over ten million PC's infected and counting. This is one of the dangers that having most people running one insecure operating systems causes. We feel really bad for anyone that gets infected with Conflicker. They should be more open to alternative and more secure operating systems in the future.



The future is about transparency, openness, customers running applications on the operating system of their choice and web based and or web aware software. If you use Windows and have "AutoRun" turn on it might be best to turn it off since that is one of the ways Conflicker spreads itself. Nightmare situations like this shows how dated and old Windows is. That is why we don't focus on the Windows version of Aladdin 4D and will only offer it included for free when you buy one of the other versions. Windows will be used less and less in the future.

Links


Network World

ComputerWorld

Digital Breast Feeding

The Platform Aladdin 4D comes from (Amiga) has often been misunderstood. Like the great Leonardo da Vinci the Amiga was way ahead of it's time and did things that are even now just being understood. When it came out in 1985 other competitors spent lots of money on marketing calling it only a game machine and a toy. They lived in fear that something so far ahead would destroy their primitive less visionary products. Customers, which are most of the time pawns of huge marketing machines, also fell victim to these beliefs. The computer industry did not mind sucking at the Amiga breast while they dismissed it. Today's computers are much better thanks to the Amiga and this idea suckling. Today's Amiga scene is somewhat in chaos with several offshoots competing for that original ideal (Amiga OS 4.1, MorphOS 2.2, AROS, Amiga Virtual Machine).

This is ok and we are just glad that the Amiga exists in any form in the modern world. Those that did their best to kill it in the past now have more dangerous enemies to deal with. We predict an Amiga renaissance at some point in the future. Just as da Vinci was not appreciated at first so is it with the Amiga spirit. It's this spirit that also keeps the Amiga offshoots of Aladdin 4D alive. We could kill those off and only focus on a Mac OS X version, a Linux version or god forbid a Windows only version. But never fear, we are not that short sighted.

Micro & Soft Retail Stores

Well this old rumor is finally coming true. Microsoft will copy Apple again and open their own retail stores. While this works well for Apple, Gateway already tried this for Windows PC's and it failed miserably. Just another way for M$ to beat the dead horse that is Windows Vista. Desperate times call for desperate measures in Redmond. But copying Apple when you have a substandard operating system product will just remove more of that quickly dwindling revenue that Microsoft has in the bank. Cash is king in the current economy.


Links

MS Retail Stores 2008 Rumor

CNBC Feb 12th, 2009 News Item

CNN Money News Item
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Begging For Vista Customers & Cash

A very very long winded post on the brand new windowsteamblog.com can be summed up in just a few words. Please please buy Windows Vista now and Windows 7 later, we need your money now! The failure of Windows Vista has shaken the very foundation of Microsoft and they still can't accept that no one wants it. A dead brand is very difficult to resurrect once the public has made up their minds about it. Microsoft can't accept this, they want to change everyones mind. They want to take your money twice, once for Windows Vista then again with Windows 7. It kind of reminds us of the current American car manufacturing industry. They are saying something just like Microsoft "Please buy our old dated crap products now because we need money." Sad, very sad, read the whole buy Windows Vista beg orgy if you dare at the link below.

Begging Business Customers to Buy Vista

SGI in Trouble Again?

An interesting article on OSNEWS asks the question that's on everyone's mind. Is SGI in trouble again? SGI once was an exciting company with many innovations like OpenGL, O2, Super computers, etc. We still have a few Octane's and O2's kicking around and enjoyed them. The company was started by the genius billionaire Jim Clark. SGI's problems started when they lost their visionary leader and many of their talented employees. It also hurt SGI and made customers run when they stated they were switching to Windows NT and the Itanium processor. We had hoped SGI would do better once they emerged from bankruptcy. Many famous 3D animation programs and high end graphics tools got their start on Irix. SoftImage, Maya, Houdini, Xoas Tools and many more. We had explored porting Aladdin 4D to the SGI platform in the past. Too much drama and the death of the Irix operating system has made us choose not to do it.

Links

OSNEWS

Jim Clark

SGI

Houdini

SoftImage

Alias

LightWave 3D Goes Hardcore!

Congratulations to NewTek for revealing LightWave Core. Two years of hard work have gone into this upgrade of the flagship 3D animation program for Windows and Mac OS X. Now Linux joins the party and LightWave will also be available for that operating system. That's awesome news, Maya and other 3D applications have already been on Linux for a long time. What Maya lacks though is the ease of use and workflow that has made LightWave 3D a hit since the original Video Toaster days. LightWave now being available for three operating systems is great news. We have always stated multi-platform is the best course of action with 3D animation software. We wish NewTek great success with this upgrade and hope they sell a million of them. 

Links

LightWave CORE

Windows Vista = New Coke?

The Windows Vista disaster continues, Computer World has now dubbed Vista the New Coke of operating systems. They got this fitting comparison from none other than Forrester Research. M$ continues to bleed, losing both operating system users and web browser share. Eighteen months after the release of Windows Vista, enterprise adoption is still in the single digits. This is why we don't focus on the Windows version of Aladdin 4D. Windows will continue to lose market share as customers find better and faster ways to run their software.








Links

Computer World

Forrester Research

Amiga OS 4.1 Now Available for the Pegasos II

Congratulations to Hyperion Entertainment for releasing the Pegasos II version of Amiga OS. The more hardware 4.1 is available for the more customers that get to enjoy this great operating system. The Pegasos II is a well designed, German engineered system from bPlan. It was also the bases of Genesi's very successful ODW (Open Desktop Workstation).





Links

OS 4.1 on PegII

ODW

Genesi

bpan

The Aladdin 4D Sale is Over

The 48 hour sale for Aladdin 4D is now over. The sale button has now been removed from the site. We want to thank everyone that participated. Please expect your Aladdin 4D in 1-2 weeks.