The Icon Bar: Poll Update!

Posted by fwibbler on 17:28, 21/5/2003 | RISC OS, Drobe

Ok, an update of the Iconbar poll is a feeble excuse for a news item, but I consider it to be an important one. A brief chat with RISC OS Ltd (and a quick read of a Drobe Launchpad article) has revealed that they are considering the release of a version of Select on ROM chips (just like the good 'ole days).

Public opinion may play a part in this (if nobody wants it, it won't happen) hence the update of the poll. Hopefully something more official will originate from RISC OS Ltd themselves.

Poll Update!

fwibbler (19:04 21/5/2003)
  Steve (19:14 21/5/2003)
    The Doctor (19:37 21/5/2003)
      Wookie (20:00 21/5/2003)
        The Doctor (20:52 21/5/2003)
          march. (20:53 21/5/2003)
            monkeyson2 (21:00 21/5/2003)
              pnaulls (21:06 21/5/2003)
                PHP Guru (21:38 21/5/2003)
                  thegman (09:13 22/5/2003)
                    fwibbler (10:28 22/5/2003)
                      KingBob (11:14 22/5/2003)
                        Anon (12:10 22/5/2003)
                          fud (14:34 22/5/2003)
                            Steve Turnboll's Psy (10:08 27/5/2003)
                              andypoole (16:28 27/5/2003)
                                takkaria (17:56 27/5/2003)
                                  The 'People's' Repub (08:39 28/5/2003)
                                    Tim's Fountain (08:40 28/5/2003)
                                      andypoole (15:51 28/5/2003)
                                        Phlamethrower (19:00 28/5/2003)

fwibbler

Message #92249, posted by fwibbler at 19:04, 21/5/2003

Posts: 320

Ok, who's the Arthur user? Own up!

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Steve C

Message #92250, posted by Steve at 19:14, 21/5/2003, in reply to message #92249

Member
Posts: 95

Thing is, if I were to buy this, would I end up with the same situation as currently happens with RISC OS 4 and Select, - i.e. once a newer version of Select is released than is on the ROMs, would I have to do the double-boot thing, or would Select in the ROMs be more intelligent?

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The Doctor

Message #92251, posted at 19:37, 21/5/2003, in reply to message #92250

Unregistered user

I don't know.
I would hope that the ROM release would contain one version of the OS (EG: 4.36) and that the OS would continue to be updated and developed via the Select subscription scheme and further versions to be issued via this.
Maybe once every couple of years a ROM release could be made of the current version at that time.
I'm guessing here though.

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Wookie

Message #92252, posted by Wookie at 20:00, 21/5/2003, in reply to message #92251

Member
Posts: 2

Why not produce a pcb with a flash rom on it so that you can update the OS as nessesary but still not have to softload it. Risc OS belongs in hardware not on a disc, the only OS that I'll use off a disc is Linux

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The Doctor

Message #92253, posted at 20:52, 21/5/2003, in reply to message #92252

Unregistered user

Personally I don't have a problem with the OS being in ROM or on Disc.
The only reason I don't like Select as it stands is because of it's dual Boot 'feature' which wastes time.
This is a big issue for me. I want my machine to startup as quickly as possible.
Also, as my machine is a tad overloaded (podules, o'clocked CPU, etc..) and the Blitz interface I have fitted occasionally (not often) freezes my machine on startup.
With Select installed, there is twice as much chance of this happening. It becomes an annoyance.

Maybe this is the fault of my machine, but I've tried three different motherboards to no effect. The only cure is to remove the Blitz (and there's no way I'm going back to the internal IDE interface, it's too slow) so I went back to OS 4.04 and have stuck with it until now.

However, Select 3 has tempted me to try again. I shall remove the Blitz and try the Simtec interface and then install Select. Sometime soon I think.
Hmmm, I'm rambling again. Sorry.

Cheers!

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march.

Message #92254, posted at 20:53, 21/5/2003, in reply to message #92253

Unregistered user

[7] i want select into my iyonix-flashrom.

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Phil Mellor

Message #92255, posted by monkeyson2 at 21:00, 21/5/2003, in reply to message #92254

Please don't let them make me be a monkey butler

monkeyson.info

Posts: 12380

What about [8] No, I am happy with Select on disc ?

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Peter Naulls

Message #92256, posted by pnaulls at 21:06, 21/5/2003, in reply to message #92255

Member
Posts: 317

I especially enjoy the extra '\'s in the text of the poll ;-)

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PHP Guru

Message #92257, posted at 21:38, 21/5/2003, in reply to message #92256

Unregistered user

stripslashes();

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Garry Taylor

Message #92258, posted by thegman at 09:13, 22/5/2003, in reply to message #92257

Member
Posts: 65

I don't really care how it is distributed, however they've got to work on the price, £105 was OK, £150 is not. I was planning to get Select and Compo, with Select priced like it is, that's over £200. Maybe ROL could bundle some better software to take the sting out, Writer and Vector would have been OK 5-10 years ago but now would be an embarrasment.

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fwibbler

Message #92259, posted by fwibbler at 10:28, 22/5/2003, in reply to message #92258

Posts: 320

Yes, I don't know where the '\' came from (I didn't put them there!) Damned annoying though. ):-(

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KingBob

Message #92260, posted at 11:14, 22/5/2003, in reply to message #92259

Unregistered user

Would Flash ROM require an extra pcb? I thought the original idea was to provide Risc OS 4 on Flash ROM anyway? It would seem like a good option if possible.

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Anon

Message #92261, posted at 12:10, 22/5/2003, in reply to message #92260

Unregistered user

The problem was that using Flash resulted in timing
problems, and (I believe) the carrier boards added
to the cost. I would have been ideal as a mechanism
for upgrades, of course, but sadly most RiscPCs were so old and "on the brink" already that the flash stuff was enough to push them over the edge.

In a way, it is a shame that Castle haven't done a sensibly priced "revamp" on the RiscPC motherboard. My own main machines are still RiscPCs despite owning
an Iyonix, and will continue to be. I'm actually
about to buy some kinetic upgrades for them, to extend
their life. Software reliablilty and compatibility
are absolutely top priority. A new mobo, especially
one with the OS in flash rom, would be the icing on
the cake. Of course, it won't happen, but I'm guessing that there are a LOT of RiscPC users who
would rather have a slightly tweaked RPC than a
flashy bleeding-edge 32bit one?

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fud

Message #92262, posted at 14:34, 22/5/2003, in reply to message #92261

Unregistered user

i'm an icon bar bitch

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Steve Turnboll's Psy

Message #92263, posted at 10:08, 27/5/2003, in reply to message #92262

Unregistered user

Here's a poll:

Scientology or Campanology? Which is best?

1. Former
2. Latter
3. Other: satanism
4. Other: Acorn User
5. Other: All-lah worhipping greaseballdom.