Naturally you find a lot of trolling in any forum, but that's specially true for the ones that are "multi-format"... Most of them are always the same lame attitude that plagues since Commodore demise, and in an ever increasing fashion. Usually the subjects are "What is considerered amiga, amiga like or amiga oficial or amiga spirit", or "Classic vs NG, Blue VS RED VS Black", or "your OS only supports Dead HW or not Amiga like HW"... The list goes on... A sane normal person can only think that Amiga community stands for some kind of Asylum Health type disease that everyone is trying to solve!...
So I can hardly look at these subjects with necessary objectivity. Anyway, I guess I'll put my reasons for backing up AROS (with no disregard for the other NG OS), and with the full clarity that it's not perfect even by a far stretch (but then again what is perfection!?)...
AROS has in my point of view some great strong points, in comparison with other OS:
- It's Open-Source nature frees it from an entity sole control, and has contributed for the development of the other OS due to its magnanimous license (APL), and maybe even to other software I'm not aware.
- Hardware support: True has to be said that both AmigaOS 4.x and MorphOS have their hardware reasonably well to fully supported. But they only support one CPU type (PPC) and limit themselves to a small range of GFX HW.
AROS on the other hand supports lots of CPU's but does not try to limit itself to only a few range of devices. So if a user decides to use an NVIDIA PCI CARD on a PPC machine, the porting affair should be relatively simple (probably comprising of endianess issues mostly). The development although more complex (and not so well optmized in certain issues) delivers a backbone for real multiplatform availabilty.
AROS can be found running from desktop type computers to Portable and netbook computers, and is aiming for ARM powered devices, so maybe soon AROS will reach the NG cellphones/smartphones.
- Connectivity: Both AmigaOS 4.x and MorphOs support modern TCP/IP stacks, AROS has its own rendition of AMITCP (ArosTCP), but it has more drivers available, and has support for both Wireless and Mobile Broadband from the get going. The only thing that does not currently support is modem through common phone line.
But the fact remains, that AROS offers more modern options for the ordinary connection to the internet.
- Ratio Price/performance: Right now you either have an MorphOS on a latest generation MAC, and that is a very nice combination (providing you got your hw on ebay for a low bid) or you have AROS (which was free) on X86 machine. That's as simple as that... And the quantity of options are much larger...
- Future prospects: While MorphOS has devoted its future focus to the Apple PPC line (and aims to support it fully), AmigaOS 4.x is backing the PPC custom machine with a few novel twists and offering (AmigaOne X-1000), the truth is that PPC hw is deemed to end, and even some Linux distros have ceased support on that platform (sounds familiar right). AROS is available to the EFIKA and SAM440 PPC, does not seem to further aim on to more PPC machines, but has extend it range beyond X86-32 bit and 64 bit , to M68k (as retrospective goal) and ARM (which is a sensible option regarding ARM supported devices prospect for future ones). So I would say that in that area seems ahead of the its "competition"...
- Specific Software: So far that's the point that AROS is alway lacking behind, both AmigaOS and MorphOS offer more, but maybe its time for some interesting developments in the media front in the future...
So While AROS is lacking in several areas, the truth is that it no longers sits in the pale shadows of the other Amiga like NG Offerings, it surpasses in certain degrees.
And its great because of its open-source development. It means that if any of the other OS wishes to add any of these enhancements or opt for other devices, AROS provides a shorter path to the required R&D.
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