Omega ethernet saga continues | Drobe.co.uk archives

Omega ethernet saga continues

By Chris Williams. Published: 22nd Sep 2003, 14:19:51 | Permalink | Printable

It's all going on, in the Netherlands [Updated]

Dutch RISC OS dealer Desk have stepped up this month to offer some Omega related news and comment in spite of the silence from MicroDigital. The original September newsletter can be found here whereas an English version can be found here.

The Omega user guide is not yet available as MicroDigital wish to first finish ethernet support. Desk predict that networking will be finished before the end of the month. Networking is very much a critical ability for computers these days, especially now that many users are enjoying broadband internet or have more than one computer at their disposal. It cannot be understated how useful a home or office network can be, with non-RISC OS and RISC OS machines sharing files and resources.

It's also reported that XScale support and USB are next on the todo list although no time frame is given for those little details. Desk are also preparing to build Omegas themselves, rather than having complete units shipped from the UK. Finally, Desk have a few words about VirtualRiscPC and how they fear emulation will cost the market users. They also report that Alpha sales are still rising despite the general release of VirtualRPC.

Omegas in the wild
Rick's omega on show

We've learnt that an Omega belonging to Rick Denkers was demonstrated by a loyal RISC OS user group at a large computer show in the Netherlands on Saturday. The user group will also be evangelizing our favourite OS at the HCC show in November, which usually sees more than 120,000 visitors through the doors.

Update 13:44 25/9/2003
Desk have changed the wording of their newsletter and advised us to post a correction. Originally, Desk implied that Simtec were involved in the development of the Omega's USB system. Desk now stress that their initial suggestion was "premature" and have removed all references to Simtec.

Links

Desk website September Desk newsletter - English version kindly translated by Rick Denkers aka drobe.co.uk Monitoring.

Previous: ProAction pumps life into AudioWorks
Next: Simtec USB stack updated

Discussion

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Strange that Desk relate the missing USB stack and drivers to Simtec. Gavin Simpson assured me that Simtec is not related in any way to the planned MicroDigital USB solution, and Thomas Milius also told me that he is not involved in any way with it.

So it looks like MD want to develop the fourth RISC OS USB stack, but have told nobody about it.

hubersn on 22/9/03 2:48PM
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Perhaps MD have only recently been in touch with Simtec abou their USB stack. -- Bletchley, Milton Keynes

sa110 on 22/9/03 3:38PM
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We need another stack though. Competition is good. -- Spriteman.

Spriteman on 22/9/03 3:39PM
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Like a goldfish needs a bicycle.

Gerph on 22/9/03 3:48PM
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I expect it's all hush hush like everything else seems to be about the omega

I'm saving my money for something else to come along

-- [link]

john on 22/9/03 3:55PM
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An Iyonix?

dgs on 22/9/03 4:08PM
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sa110 said "Perhaps MD have only recently been in touch with Simtec abou their USB stack."

Actually ISTR David Prosser mentioning this to me at the RISC OS Expo in Holland. That's quite a while ago.

dgs

dgs on 22/9/03 4:10PM
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You can get a 'better than alpha' spec portable at Safeway for 600ukp. We bought 2 here at work and are perfectly capable machines.

Ian Hawkins (g0tai)

piemmm on 22/9/03 4:12PM
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I am not sure what "recently" would mean, but the answer Gavin gave is dated 2003-09-05, so indeed very recent.

Steffen

hubersn on 22/9/03 4:29PM
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Can Alpha sales really be increasing? You've got to be a complete mug to buy that now VARPC-SE is available standalone.

Unfinished Serial Bus anyone?

-- C'mon, mod me down, PUNK!

simo on 22/9/03 4:54PM
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<ahem> Fourth USB stack? What was the third? There was Castle and Simtec - who else? Also, seeing as this news bulletin is mainly about ethernet - I was wondering if anyone has tested the Gigabit networking on Iyonix. How well does it perform and does it have full support yet? -- Smiler -

Alex Melhuish

Smiler on 22/9/03 5:12PM
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Alpha-beating laptop for 600ukp in Safeway? Excellent - I shall buy one on the way home. Does it come with USB and ethernet, or do you have to go to Tesco for that? -- Andrew Harmsworth, Cambridge. www.gcse.com owner and author

harmsy on 22/9/03 5:26PM
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The third USB stack is Thomas Milius' effort - the Simtec stack and Thomas' stack were at one point of time exactly the same, but they have now diverged considerably, so I took the liberty to count both.

Steffen

hubersn on 22/9/03 6:11PM
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I guess the fact that VRPC has been throughly tested on the Alpha is a good reason to buy it, so you know that there won't be any compatibility problems. And you probably get better support.

-- Julian G. F. Zimmerle

JGZimmerle on 22/9/03 6:47PM
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@Steffen: I asked David Atkins about the USB stack, and he told me that they would licence the stack from Simtec once their driver for the Omega's host controller is finished.

-- Julian G. F. Zimmerle

JGZimmerle on 22/9/03 6:49PM
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Zimmerele> Maybe someone should let Simtec in on that idea? ;-)

What a load a cack MD spout!

imj on 22/9/03 9:26PM
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dgs: something significantly faster than an iyonix, or something fairly faster and runs select. -- [link]

john on 22/9/03 9:38PM
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Someone should tell Vincent Sanders - on [link] under 9/7/2002 "Microdigital announce API selection" Looking at the website, which you can see on [link] it sounds like they said Simtec and TM were in on the discussion, so goodness knows what's going on now.

john on 22/9/03 9:44PM
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I'm sure that we'll see statements and/or retractions over the next few days as clarification. Although I know the facts, it would not be prudent of me to state them given the alleged letigious nature of at least one party.

However, in the meantime it's important to clarify the difference between an API (which in the case of the Simtec USB stack is fully and freely available from www.riscos-usb.com and can be implemented by anybody for any hardware), and the act of commissioning an entity to produce a product (which usually involves some form of consideration, or at least an agreement and promise of such).

stdevel on 22/9/03 10:27PM
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Someone could, in theory at least, write a USB stack that actually WORKS, to that API. ;-)

imj on 22/9/03 10:33PM
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stdevel: Ah whoops, I see, maybe MD negotiated an API when they thought they were getting a stack, no wonder it's late

john on 23/9/03 12:19AM
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john> Possibly, but the API's free and open for anyone. No negotiating required there.

imj on 23/9/03 2:32AM
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Last night I could have had the following conversation with my "other half":

me: "Would you like me to do the washing up?"

her: "No, I'm quite capable of doing the washing up myself, thankyou"

Several minutes later, getting late...

me: "It's getting late - are you /sure/ you don't want me to help"

her: "Look, I've told you that I've arranged to have the washing up done. How and when it gets done is none of your concern"

There's still dirty dishes in the sink.

This morning I heard my "other half" commenting to a friend that I hadn't done the washing up last night.....

stdevel on 23/9/03 9:22AM
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Coo - drobe's moderation system shows the art of allegory is certainly dead....

stdevel on 23/9/03 10:12AM
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...no, only that silly things get modded down.

-- Peter, drobe.co.uk

mrchocky on 23/9/03 10:29AM
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Peter, you're plodding for a modding -- Spriteman.

Spriteman on 23/9/03 10:56AM
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I wouldn't know, the moderation system didn't suit my needs so I turned it off for me.

john on 23/9/03 11:58AM
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In respect of Stuarts little "story" maybe the disctionary definition of allegory would help people to realise its actualy trying to tell you something important?!

1:the expression by means of symbolic fictional figures and actions of truths

Perhaps his other half migh allude to one of the other companies mentioned in the thread? and maybe his friend represent say oooh drobe? Obviously STDevel is a bit subtle for the modern point n click culture

kyllikki on 23/9/03 2:45PM
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So how do we mod up the things that Drobe sees as silly?

-- C'mon, mod me down, PUNK!

simo on 23/9/03 4:50PM
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--Where Does the Mico come into all this.It has an USB card but how can it be driven. I am weary of having hardware and no drivers.

jlavallin on 23/9/03 7:17PM
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stdev said: > Last night I could have had the following conversation with my "other half":

me: "Would you like me to do the washing up?"

her: "No, I'm quite capable of doing the washing up myself, thankyou"

Several minutes later, getting late...

me: "It's getting late - are you /sure/ you don't want me to help"

her: "Look, I've told you that I've arranged to have the washing up done. How and when it gets done is none of your concern"

There's still dirty dishes in the sink.

This morning I heard my "other half" commenting to a friend that I hadn't done the washing up last night..... ------------ Coming soon: !DishWasher

The moral of this story is: Don't plan to eat dinner until you see the clean plates on the table.

mavhc on 23/09/03 8:29PM
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I'm glad the saga continues ... considering that on their website in the newsroom you can read "Briefly we are on target regarding production dates, even though they are not in the public domain (yet). The marketing effort is gaining momentum and we shall be making annoucements regarding this subject in the next few days." ... dated 1st August 2002 (just a bit over a year ago) - when was that target?

But on Newsdesk on MDs website there is a nice case: rack mounted Omega. Lucky me not waiting for Omega, otherwise I would really start wondering what's going on. No Ehternet, no USB, ... but time to do other things...

hzn on 23/09/03 8:32PM
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What, do you mean everyone else should stop working on the product, to wait for the persons who are doing the USB and networking to finish their tasks first?

JGZimmerle on 24/09/03 5:18PM
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Are you suggesting that MicroDigital have some new recruits to work alongside David Prosser, JGZ ? It's the first I've heard about it.

dgs

dgs on 24/09/03 5:31PM
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Maybe they sub contract work out.

Revin Kevin on 24/09/03 6:04PM
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To Simtec? Doesn't sound like it...

dgs on 24/09/03 6:56PM
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Microdigital haven't done all the work themselves, they have contracted out a fair bit of work to several parties.

anon/62.188.142.12 via 62.189.34.9 on 24/09/03 7:34PM
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Just received an update to the Newsshot24 from Desk where references to Simtec (in relation to them working on the USB stack for the Omega) have been removed from one paragraph at the request of Simtec.

blahsnr on 24/09/03 8:16PM
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Well, the Omega does not only consist of the mainboard (wich AFAIK was developed by David Prosser). Why should someone with the abilities of David Prosser have to do relativly simple (but still time consuming) tasks like sourcing additional components like cases, cables, keyboards, mice, and bundled software? Also some of the software developments/adjustments could be done by less skilled people. And then there are other things like the support website and manuals wich also can be written by others...

JGZimmerle on 25/09/03 09:54AM
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Zimmerele asked "Why should someone with the abilities of David Prosser have to do relativly simple tasks?"

Because no other bugger appears to be doing them? :-)

imj on 26/09/03 9:35PM
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