Advertisement

AmigaOS 4 reviewed

ArsTechnica got a look at a pre-release version of AmigaOS 4 a full two years ago, but as those familiar with the much-loved platform know all too well, things move slowly in Amigaland, which accounts for why the final version of OS is only now available for download. As before, the folks at ArsTechnica got one of the first looks at it, installing the OS on their coveted Micro AmigaOne box in hopes of reliving good old days of 1989. While they end up giving the OS a thumbs up for the most part, it's unfortunately not without its failings, and probably only of interest to die-hard Amiga fans and those curious what all the fuss was about. On the upside, the installation is apparently fairly straightforward, and the OS itself has been given a bit of facelift, with the usual shininess added to spruce things up. The OS hits its biggest snags when you go online, with a browser that doesn't support CSS and an email application that doesn't support HTML, although both would seem to be only temporary problems should development pick up. Of course, to try out the OS for yourself, you're gonna have to track down an AmigaOne system of your own, which is no easy feat, given that the only company making 'em has ceased production. Those of us not so lucky will just have to hold onto the faint hope of an Intel port somewhere down the line.