1. When have you met Amiga and how long you are in Amiga business? How it did happen?
2. You have probably the biggest store (AmigaKit) with hardware and software for Amiga. Could you please tell us how big part of consumers are NG owners? Do you think, that on the market will survive only companies, which produce equipment for computers made by Commodore/Escom?
3. Your second business is A-EON company, which is responsible for AmigaOne computers. Many people are wonder who is responsible for what in your company. How you divide duties between you and Trevor Dickinson? We have feeling, that Trevor is great on promote, presentations and being kind of ambassador of new Amiga travelling through the all countries, but business and production decisions are in your hands.
4. How you would like to encourage people to buy X5000, the only available computer of A-EON? Who is your customer? Do you think, that there is possibility to decrease price? For many people, even from rich countries like Sweden, it is just too expensive. Is it connected with small production? How much X5000 have been sold? And on which market it is most popular?
5. Has A-EON exclusiveness for production of Amiga computers (AmigaOne) for AmigaOS 4? Several years ago we had a chance, that we could have more AmigaOne computers - produced by Italian company ACube? It was looking ok - more expensive from you and budget versions from ACube. Why it was not successful?
6. All of those questions about price and availability of X5000 are connected with long process of waiting and waiting for new budget model A1222. It took five years. Do you afraid, that people will lose their patience and there will be no customers of Tabor? Could you admit, that estimation of resources (like time, availability of Amiga developers, cooperation with Hyperion) was wrong? Tabor was planned as a crucial point for AmigaOS 4, but plan was probably slightly different, wasn't it?
7. It looks, that without new, young persons we (as Amiga NG environment) will vanish quite soon. Do you have any plans of AmigaOne development for the next years? What A-EON will do to increase number of Amiga users? How to interest people outside the small Amiga world? Do you think, that Tabor is a kind of remedy?
8. There are gossips, that Hyperion has lots of problems (debts and/or court stories). Do you think, that it could have influence on development AmigaOS 4 for Tabor? There are no updates for AmigaOS 4 since several years. It seems to be logic, that release of A1222 (and newer version of X5000) should be connected with update of the system. Are there any concrete points within deal between A-EON and Hyperion to force Hyperion to release frequent updates and developing of new feature?
9. We don't have any AmigaOS 4 updates, but you develop Enhancer Software package on your side (A-EON). Many elements from original OS4 starts from the scratch there. It is a little bit crazy - Amiga users discuss which parts should be installed and which parts from Hyperion should be keeped. What is a goal? Do you want to replace current system based on ES if Hyperion will have huge number of problems? Maybe full control over AmigaOS 4 (or other dedicated system) by A-EON will be the better solution for development of AmigaOne?
10. Enhancer Software is also announced as a version for classic 68k Amiga. When we should expect release and how about content - will be there exactly the same parts like in version for PPC (OS4)?
11. Number of software for AmigaOne is quite poor. There is a lack of modern browser (which could resolve many issues), but this is obvious. Do you work on new versions of programs bought by you - ImageFX, OctaMED or Aladdin 4D? There are also questions about possibility to purchase old, existing versions for 68k - will you provide such option?
12. Do you know about limitations of AmigaOS and his kernel? It is even ridiculous, that processor of AmigaOne X1000 or X5000 uses only one core. It is hard to explain, that in XXI century we have system without memory protection. There are ideas (like "ARIX" by Michał Schulz), to go similar way as Apple did and replace main parts of system by API (based on Amiga solutions), which will be working on Linux kernel. It will resolve problems, which was mentioned before and reduce time to market for any drivers. We know, based on interview with Trevor, that you are also developer. So what do you think about such idea and main issues with AmigaOS?
13. We are not sure how A-EON is blocked by court battles, which have started several years ago and they look like neverending stories. Cloanto company seems to takes over Amiga heritage and important hardware creator Jens Schönfeld decided to quit. For Amiga fans all of those actions are ridiculous. Is it so profitable business? Are there no possibility to sit all together at round table and to have a final deal? Is it realistic?
14. And the last question. A-EON website - lots of links are not active anymore. We, editors of Amiga services, need access to descriptions of hardware and software in PDF format. Why they are not available online? The same with Trevor's presentations from different events - there are lots of details, which are interested for us and we would like to have these informations. The rest of Amiga users probably also.
Many thanks for interview.
