CU Amiga Super CD-ROM 23/CU Amiga - Super CD-ROM 23 (June 1998).iso/CUCD/Magazine/Saku98/Transcript

Text File | 1998-04-02 | 16.7 KB | 388 lines

This is the transcript of Petro Tyschtschenko's speech at the Saku 98 event
in Finland on March 28th 1998, including the Q&A session which was held
after the speech. Before and after the speech Finnish Amiga Users Group's
vice chairman Janne Siren said a couple of words to the audience, which are
not included in this transcript.

Thanks must go to Janne Pikkarainen for recording, Valtteri Murto for
sampling and finally Janne Siren for making this transcript. Special thanks
to Nicole Gottfried of Amiga International, Inc. for providing the original
transcript and to Petro Tyschtschenko for the speech itself. Also, thanks
to all those who helped in making the Saku 98 possible.

Please visit the Finnish Amiga Users Group at http://batman.jytol.fi/~saku/
or http://tzimmola.tky.hut.fi/saku/ for further information. E-mail
inquiries should be sent to Janne Siren ([e-mail]). The authors
reserve all rights to this document. However, you may distribute it as long
as it remains unmodified and no profit is made.

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Päivää!

I'm really pleased to be here. Thank you very much for coming here and for
your invitation.

Dear Amigians,

Last time when I was in Finland, it was in 1989. I can remember my first
meeting with a distributor here. A distributor which sold Amigas for the
old Commodore.

But unfortunately, as everybody knows here, Commodore went into bankruptcy.
And the Finnish distributor - I would not say followed, but he stopped the
business as well.

In 1995 Escom AG bought Amiga. And I personally handled the deal with the
trustee in New York. This was in May 1995 when Escom took over the whole
intellectual property.

And then Amiga Technologies GmbH in Bensheim was established. And then,
ladies and gentlemen - we have a big history as you know - two years later
in May 1997 Gateway 2000 bought Amiga technology due to the bankruptcy of
Escom.

The deal was officially announced at the World of Amiga, as you may
remember, in London. Unfortunately, under the management of Escom, we could
not develop any relationship for business with Finland. I am sure, and I
hope, this will change. Because I'm really very impressed too see such an
enormous Amiga community, so strong, so creative. It's unbelievable for me.
And I'm really very excited.

But still, we're missing here in Finland distributors and dealers, and what
I can do, I will do, to set up the business again. In my point of view, the
basis for dealers here in Finland is very good - good, because of the huge
market, huge country, not so many people, but big neighbours, like Russia
for example. And Finnish people and Russian always have a good
relationship. And I think we have distributors here that can supply the
Russian countries as well, even with our Amiga A1200.

I could imagine to sell Amigas, A1200, here as well to our user clubs. So
if you have some special request, please contact Janne Siren.

The question, ladies and gentlemen, why is there no activity from our side
is right. But it is a fact that our existing product range is not
up-to-date anymore. For successful activities, world-wide, we need new
products. Without new products, we're going out of business. These are
facts.

To avoid that Amiga pulse elapses, we have founded a research and
developing company in the United States, sponsored by Gateway 2000, our
mother company. This R&D department is directed by Mr. Jeff Schindler, who
worked three and a half years for Gateway already, who developed the
Destination and who likes the Amiga very much.

His first priority is to develop our OS from 3.1 upgrade to 3.5. I'm very
positive about it and I think - I give him of course a lot of pressure,
because I'm very unpatient - that we will have the launch of the new, of
the upgraded OS 3.5 in November, in Cologne on the Computer '98, our
biggest Amiga event.

Parallel to this project, we are planning of course new products based on
Amiga technology, which will take some time. And really, I know you're very
patient, but I think, patience will be awarded. All good things take their
time and we really want to do a good thing with our Amiga in the future.

If we can present innovations to the public, we will spend also money for
marketing campaigns, which we need desperately. To draw attention to those
people who don't know Amiga. To draw this people into our community. To
make them confident, how great the Amiga community is.

To be honest, I understand the dealers, our distributors who stopped the
Amiga business, because alone from the Amiga business, as it is at the
moment, it is hard to make a living. Please keep in mind that there were no
new developments since 1992. Two bankruptcies. And we all know that the
hardware of the PC is great, but the software sucks.

My vision is, that all PCs around the world have our operating system. I'm
convinced that with new attractive Amiga products, we will easily find
distributors and dealers who sell our products.

A couple of weeks ago, I visited a Gateway Computer Show Amiga 98 in St.
Louis, in the USA. The people, the spirit and especially all the dealers,
are very positive about the Amiga business. According to them, the Amiga
business increases. There's a lot of software, where we can survive.

Our business in India - maybe you have seen this in our Web page, if not,
take a look - is going quite well. And I'm working for new distribution
channels in countries like Israel, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, North
America I have special activity now, in Australia where I got last week a
lot of orders.

My hope and my belief is of course the research and developing company.
Amiga International is a sales and marketing company. But the sales and
marketing company could not be the whole company. We need new products
desperately.

Our mother company Gateway 2000 is, as I mentioned already, for us, for
Amiga. I have had several discussions and everybody is very very positive
to support us, and they're doing this wherever it is necessary. With
Gateway 2000 we could gain a very strong partner, much more better than
Escom. A partner which is stronger than ever.

And here's some recently published company results, so that you know who is
standing behind us. The units, unfortunately not Amigas but PCs, for the
year ended December 31st 97, increased 35% to 2,6 million units. 2,6
million units they moved, compared with 1996 where they moved 1,9 million
units.

The sales in 1997 increased 25% to 6,3 billion US dollars, compared to 5
billion US dollars in 1996. The net income, what they generated after tax,
are 110 million US dollars net profit. We need this for our R&D. More than
10 000 employees are working for Gateway 2000 world-wide.

Amiga is not dead. I can see it, I can hear it, I can feel it.

I will give you a short summary about the upcoming events in 1998, so you
see that not only in Finland are activities, but other countries are also
very active.

Next week we have in Stockholm, in Sweden, the AmiTech '98. Then followed
in Belgium Waaslandia. This will happen on the 26th of April. Then the
Magic Days in Trier, which is located in Germany, on the 25th of April.
Then in Brussels on the 9th of May, there will be a Amiga show. Then of
course, the very famous World of Amiga in Hammersmith, in Nova Hotel, in
London, on the 16th and 17th of May where Amiga International will be
represented with a own booth. We're expecting there round about 5000
people.

Then, International Amiga 98 in Toronto, in Canada. Which is on the 29th
and 30th of May. The California Computer Expo in USA in August, 20th - 23th
of August. The Midwest Amiga Expo on the 4th to the 6th of September. And
last, not least, this year the Cologne fair, the Computer '98, the biggest
Amiga event. Last year, we were represented with a big big booth, with 29
people showing the products and the licensees showed, demonstrated the
products as well. Will happen between the 13th and the 15th of November.

So, somebody is going, I wish you all the best.

The next big Amiga event is in London, as I mentioned, and we know that we
have to do a lot of - for our developers. So, during this World of Amiga in
London, my colleagues of the US will be available and they will present our
new concept for Amiga developers. I hope, ladies and gentlemen, that I can
see some of you, some of the Finnish community in London or maybe in
Cologne.

Before I say goodbye, I brought something here with me today. I hope you
will enjoy this. I think this is what our community missed until today. And
today will be the world introduction of our new... Excited? Of our new
Amiga hymn. Here we go!

So I think it's enough. This is designed by Amiga. This was designed by
accompanist which loved the Amiga, and I hope this will be really a song
which goes with us into the future. Thank you very much.

Kiitos.

So if you have some questions, of course, you can ask me now. I apologize,
I'm not a technician, like you all. Because you know all the bits, I don't
know it so much. But if you have some questions, I'm available to answer.

Please.

- Mr. Tyschtschenko...

Say Petro, everybody say Petro to me.

- Can you give us some more clues about what is really coming into the new
operating system? In the 3.5. Something like an overview perhaps...

Yes, so, I think one of the important thing is, I would like to stick to
the 3.1 Kickstart ROM. This will be the same as now. We will have a CD
version with the manuals integrated on the CD and we'll have a disk version
as well. We are trying to integrate Netscape - I hope I haven't said too
much - of course some drivers which we are missing, they will be there and
some other things. I have to be very careful, because this is my
colleague's things.

I recommend, you should send him an e-mail. For those who would like to
write him an e-mail, I can give his e-mail. It's jefschin... I will spell
it to you. Jeff Schindler is his name. It's schinjef, sorry.

[e-mail]

And he promised me to answer. Because I got a lot of complaints and he
never answered. But I pushed this, so if he gives you no answer, then let
me know.

Okay?

Please.

- What is the size of the developing company? I mean, how many people are
working on the...

On the operating system?

So, I hope I will also not say too much secrets. Because I'm famous for
this. There's working Phase 5 on it, there's working Haage & Partner on it
as a team, as a project, there's Olaf Barthel working on this, there's
Floss - Fleecy Moss - working on this, and there are other people who are
under contract, so not only the five people which are now in our R&D
department.

What Jeff Schindler is doing, he tries to put together what is already
existing, because there's a lot of things existing and I always told the
people, our group, that they should collect what is already available.
Right? They should not start it from scrap.

Any further questions?

So, we're also using our - your inputs. I get every day more than hundred
e-mails. Sometimes I'm really sitting night and answering. That's because
I'm reading all my e-mails and everybody will get a response. Sometimes
very short, and if not immediately, then it's a difficult question because
I'm always - postponed these answers. But normally I'm answering.

Yes?

- You mentioned, as we discussed last night, the benefits for user groups.

Yes...

- Can you, please...

Yes, as I told already in my speech, so what I would like to do is, that I
will give the Amiga A1200 for user members, for a special period, for very
very attractive price. So those people, who are using at the moment A500,
user groups only, can change this into a A1200. I think this will be good
idea, before we're coming out with something new. And I think you are so
kind, you can organize this.

I can not tell you now the price, right, because there are some dealers
that will kill me.

But this is only for user groups, not for the public. If you're a member of
the Finnish user group you can get this price.

Yes?

- What's going on with the developer support?

Yes, this is a very important point. I was in talks with my colleagues,
because we have to do something for the developers. So what they promised
me to bring out, and they will launch this in London. They promised me this
as well. A low-end kit for developers who are programming and a high-end
kit. So the low-end kit will be very reasonable, so you have not to spend
too much money and the high-end will be also in good range.

But we have to do something and they're working on this as well. Because
without developers, without developing on software, we have also no future.
Right? And then what I should do with my song?

Yes?

- I heard you aren't developing Amigas. That it's in the hands of other
companies and...

No. I have to correct this. So that the developing is in out hands. What
we're doing is, what I have done, to keep Amiga ongoing, is I licensed the
technology. But developments... I have done a license agreement for example
with Phase 5, with DCE, with MicroniK, with Index, with Quikpak. Right? So,
this should be under the roof of the AmigaOS. No varification is allowed.
So that it's not popping out in different directions. So it should be
stream-lined, in one direction, under the roof of our operating system.

Boards are different. Fine. Everybody has a choice. We're not a monopoly. I
know some people who has a monopoly. We're very liberal. And open.

Is this the answer to your question, or...?

- Yes, and I would like to continue. Will there be another standard like
AGA chips?

Oh. I think here you're all prophets anyway, better than me. But I think
it's not a secret that our video chips, our custom chips are little bit
dusty. Right? So, we have to make some brush-ups and there, I think, will
be available also nice video chips. So, let's see what happens.

Okay? You put me in the corner... I get the blame from Gateway.

So, some more questions?

Yes, please.

- Yes, you said that Phase 5 and Haage & Partner are working on the OS.
Will there be some common standard for the PPC cards?

Of course, it should be integrated. Right? But, we're not porting in the
first step our OS to the PowerPC. This is too expensive and too time
consuming.

- But you know the PowerUp - WarpUp situation. Will there be some common
standard for that?

I understand. But you know, it should be prepared for this. But what we
would like to avoid is that for example Phase 5 is putting in his company
philosophy in our operating system and Haage & Partner is putting in his
company philosophy.

So, Jeff Schindler's work is like a police guy. Right? He has to watch that
we have a mutual operating system, which covers of course all the features
which are necessary for the future. Right?

So you have had a question...?

- At summer 95 you had the operating system 3.2 nearly completed. What
happened to it?

Sorry, say it again please.

- At summer 95 the operating system 3.2 being nearly completed with the
project Walker. What happened to that?

No, this was not nearly completed. No, no, no, no...

The Walker I have... Really, I have... I saved the Walker models. We have
two - I have two Walker models. Think one I will make an auction one time.
For a good reason. For some kids or something.

And, there's only a 030 processor. That's all. There's no new operating
system. This based on 3.1. I know this. Okay?

So, some more questions?

- What happened to those two Walker prototypes?

It's in my office.

- They have 3.2 on a ROM - ROM chip?

Yes, but not real one. This was not upgraded. There was more - more show
show.

- Are you going to be making new hardware or are you going to license -
license it out?

Yes, so the idea is that we would like to develop, on our technology, new
products, the design, to design this. And then what we would like to do is
to license this design what we developed to potential companies. So don't
name me, I'm only saying potential companies, for example Philips, or Sony,
or Sega, or whatever, right, or IBM, or Gateway, right?

So, and they can then take the production part. Right? And the distribution
part. And then of course me, Amiga International Inc. would like to
participate, we also would like to sell those products. Because we are
sales and marketing, right? So, they can sell it under, I don't know under
which name, of course with our boing ball, and we can sell it under Amiga.
This is the idea.

Okay? So that we have... We can not live without own products. I don't
think so. This will work for - for long time.

- There's one question: when will these new technologies be available?

I think such a process will be one to two years. And I can really assure
you, because I've seen this by myself, and I'm a very straight and honest
guy. I saw the marketing plan and I saw, with my own eyes, and with my
glasses here, the roadmap. And I'm really excited about this. But enough,
enough, enough...

Okay?

So, I don't know, maybe we can hear our hymn again.

So, thank you very much and...

Kiitos, näkemiin!