[?] Questions for people at Be...or anyone else
Narayan Sainaney
>
> Is any of this in a FAQ anywhere?
Not that I know of but David Orr <dav...@grove.ufl.edu> posted a really helpful
BeBox Hardware Peripherals FAQ. I have appended this at the end of this message.
> Why isn't CK the dev guy anymore?
This information has not been released (should it? I dunno...) What has been
widely expressed is that he will be missed by us.
> Did Apple really want $6million for a quicktime license?
Did Apple really want $2billion for the MacOS license? I don't know the answer to
both these questions.
> Current status of java capabilities (or licensing)?
I have not gotten excited by any Java compiler to date. Most of the Java stuff
I've come across has been treated as beta software (ocassionally crashes etc.)
I've heard of memory leaks in some implementations etc. Quite a few people have
asked if there's anyone porting this to the Be but as far as *I* know, nobody's
doing it yet. The Metrowerks IDE on the Mac is due to come with a Java compiler
soon. I'm not sure if the Metrowerks for Be will include this.
> QuicktimeVR? OpenGL? POVRay? AVI?! Other cool stuff?
Be said that whey were looking into Quicktime sometime back...In the mean time
however, I've heard of both OpenGL and POVRay ports. One of these may actually be
completed.
> Has Netscape said anything about developing..?
Not that I know of but I have sent mail to guy's at Netscape asking if they're
porting their stuff and the response I got seemed to suggest that there are
people there who'd love to do it. If they got more messages saying "Hey! Are you
guy's doing anything about Be!" then the engineers drooling over the BeBox would
have a better chance convincing the powers that be at their compoany to let them
look into it. This works for most companies.....
> Is there a list of developers who have signed up, or are y'all keeping the
> policy of making that their business?
The Be Newsletter profiles a Be Developer in every issue and seems to be the only
"official" disclosure from Be that so-and-so is a Be Developer. I quite frankly
have no problems about divulging this fact but there might be other companies
that want to keep it quiet for now....why? I dunno...maybe the Be developement at
these companies is a pirate project. ;) (ie. one that management knows nothing
about...isn't that what they're called; pirate projects?)
> Will future BeBoxes use DIMMs?
The future seems to be DIMMs so I'd expect so. No official word so far tho.
> What about lisencing the BeOS?
JLG's said that it's $50 per copy....
> (is there ever going to be) support for other languages?
People have implemented a bunch of languages for the Be but I don't expect the
BeOS to shy away from C++. I'd state my opinions about C++ but I feel that that
just going to revive a C++ war that seems to have calmed down....
> What is the status of any Webservers being developed.. Is starnine
> (quarterdeck) a developer?
A shareware/freeware(?) webserver has already been developed for the BeOS. It
might be at the Be ftp site...
> thanx for your time and sorry to waste it... Hopefully the answers will
> help more than just me.
>
> cheers,
cheers
Narayan Sainaney
digital innovations ltd. <-bebox will be here soon =)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
A lot of the same questions keep getting asked about what hardware can be
used on the BeBox and some people have asked for a peripheral FAQ, so
here it is.
This is only a pre-release that has some of the basic information, it
still has a long way to go. Those of you who know about this stuff,
please send mail to my address (dav...@grove.ufl.edu) and help us fill in
the blanks and correct the errors.
When complete this FAQ will be available on the web where it will be kept
up to date.
***
BeBox Hardware Peripherals FAQ
Version 0.11
February 17, 1995
***
David Orr <dav...@grove.ufl.edu>
This is an early version of what will eventually be a complete source
of practical information concerning peripherals that can be used with
the BeBox from Be, Inc. If you purchase a pre-configured BeBox you'll
already have these items, but if you purchase the "bare" BeBox you'll
need to find these items yourself and this FAQ is a great place to find
the information you need to know.
This information is "as is" and very likely contains errors and
omissions so please use it at your own risk.
Thanks to the numerous people whose postings in comp.sys.be have supplied
the information listed in this FAQ, as well as the information on Be,
Inc.'s own web site.
For more information about the BeBox see:
http://www.be.com [want your URL added here? drop me a note]
Latest version of this FAQ is currently available at:
[no where yet]
*** MEMORY ***
REQUIRED SPECS
--------------
Type: 72 pin no-parity SIMM (Single Inline Memory Module) RAM. It can
accept parity RAM but it doesn't use the parity feature. Same goes for
EDO type memory.
Speed: 60ns or faster (higher numbers are slower). Chips that are rated
at 70ns may work but they will likely not work reliably and therefore
are not recommended.
Configurations: You may install up to 8 SIMMs in the current BeBox.
These may be of various memory sizes (2, 8, 16, etc. MB each), but
they must always be installed in matched identical pairs. For example,
your machine might have two 8 MB SIMMs, then two 16 MB SIMMs, and then
two 4 MB SIMMs. The BeBox can accomodate up to 256 MB by using eight 32
MB SIMMs.
Compatability: To answer a common question, yes, the SIMMs out of a
PowerMac can generally be used in a BeBox.
RECOMMENDED
-----------
Size: At least 16 MB (megabytes) total memory is generally recommended
on the BeBox.
PRICING
-------
Around $25 per meg is reasonable.
*** KEYBOARD ***
REQUIRED SPECS
--------------
Type: Any PC clone type keyboard with a standard 5-in male DIN connector.
AVAILABILITY
------------
*** MOUSE ***
REQUIRED SPECS
--------------
Type: A PS/2 compatible mouse with the standard 6-pin male DIN connector.
Note: There have been many reports of some kinds of mice not working
on the BeBox. For right now you can only be sure a mouse works on the
BeBox by trying it.
*** HARD DRIVE ***
REQUIRED SPECS
--------------
Type: Any 3.5" IDE, 50-pin SCSI, or 50-pin SCSI-2 hard drive.
Size: Any size up to 1 terabyte (that's more than a million megabytes)
can be handled by the OS, but the actual maximum size that can be
handled by a particular interface standard may be significantly less.
The bottom line is that no existing drive has a higher storage capacity
than can be handled by the BeBox.
Configuration: The current BeBox has space for two internal 3.5"
half-height drives.
Compatability: SCSI drives that use 25-pin connectors (the type used
in Macintoshes) can be used on a BeBox by using the correct type of cable
made to connect a 25-pin SCSI device to a 50-pin SCSI interface.
RECOMMENDED
-----------
Size: At least 500 MB is a reasonable minimum size, but one gigabyte
(1024 MB) drive is recommended.
*** FLOPPY DISK DRIVE ***
REQUIRED SPECS
--------------
Type: Industry standard 3.5" MFM floppy drives (with a 34-pin ribbon
connector).
RECOMMENDED
-----------
Format: Double or high density drives can be used, but high density
is strongly recommended.
*** CD-ROM ***
REQUIRED SPECS
--------------
Type:
RECOMMENDED
-----------
Brand: Currently the Toshiba model is recommended because when using
Sony models the software currently can't sample audio or fast-forward
audio CD's in the Sony drives. This will likely be fixed in a later
OS release.
Speed: CD-ROM drives come in speeds from single (1x), double (2x),
quad (4x), and higher. Any speed drive will do, but at least a quad
speed is recommended.
OTHER
-----
To hear audio CD's through using a CD-ROM drive and speakers connected
to the BeBox, you need to connect the CD-ROM drive to the BeBox I/O board
with a "pass-through cable." Pass-through cables are available at larger
electronics supply stores. Make sure you buy one that has a connector
for your brand of CD-ROM drive at one end, and a connector compatible
with a ProAudio Spectrum 16 card at the other (this is the end you
connect to the connector on the I/O board). One source for the cable is
from TTS Multimedia Systems, 2045 San Elijo Ave., Cardiff, CA 92007,
(800) 887-4968. [this info was adopted from a Be, Inc. FAQ]
*** ZIP DRIVES ***
SCSI ZIP drives are reported to work on the BeBox with no additional
driver software required.
*** MONITOR ***
REQUIRED SPECS
--------------
Display size: The BeBox can currently display screens with pixel
dimensions of sizes of 640 x 400, 800 x 600, and 1024 x 769 (under
DR7).
RECOMMENDED
-----------
Type: A multiscan monitor is recommended.
*** DISPLAY CONTROLLER ***
REQUIRED SPECS
--------------
Type: The only card that can currently be used is #9GXE64 models
designed for PCI slots. The #9GXE64 Pro model is supposedly not
officially supported but some have reported that it does work.
Drivers to support other SuperVGA cards will be available soon.
AVAILABILITY
------------
#9GXE64 cards are difficult to find but the following sources are
believed to have at least a limited supply at the time this was written:
Insight at 1-800-494-8888, http://www.insight.com.
PC Importers, Inc. 1-800-886-5155, ext. 215, ask for "Tom". 2 meg DRAM
model only.
Jason Miller at mar...@flash.net is selling the 2 meg DRAM model at
$289 + S&H + tax for a limited time.
*** ETHERNET NETWORK CARD ***
REQUIRED SPECS
--------------
Type: Standard ISA Ethernet cards, such as the NE2000, 3Com, 3C503,
or compatibles. The card may use 10baseT or coaxial cable.
RECOMMENDED
-----------
Type: Models using jumpers for IRQ settings. Many cards' configurations
are designed to be set through software, so they come with DOS programs
that you are supposed to use to configure them. You can't run DOS
programs on a BeBox, so it is recommended that you purchase a card that
uses hardware jumpers unless you have a PC around that you can use to run
the DOS program to change the settings.
AVAILABILITY
------------
Kingston Tech Corp KNE-2100th 10Base-T Ethernet (uses jumpers) - $40 -
Necx Direct - http://necxdirect.necx.com
*** MODEM ***
REQUIRED SPECS
--------------
Type: You may use standard RS-232 external modems, or PCI internal
modems.
*** JOYSTICKS ***
REQUIRED SPECS
--------------
Type: PC-standard joysticks (with 15-pin male D-shell connectors).
*** MIDI DEVICES ***
REQUIRED SPECS
--------------
Type: Standard MIDI devices with 5-pin DIN MIDI connectors.
--- *** ---
Dru Jay
Why isn't CK the dev guy anymore?
Did Apple really want $6million for a quicktime license?
Current status of java capabilities (or licensing)?
QuicktimeVR? OpenGL? POVRay? AVI?! Other cool stuff?
Has Netscape said anything about developing..?
Is there a list of developers who have signed up, or are y'all keeping the
policy of making that their business?
Will future BeBoxes use DIMMs?
What about lisencing the BeOS?
(is there ever going to be) support for other languages?
What is the status of any Webservers being developed.. Is starnine
(quarterdeck) a developer?
thanx for your time and sorry to waste it... Hopefully the answers will
help more than just me.
cheers,
Dru Jay http://www.chimacum.wednet.edu/Dru/
html writer and mac guy,
Wind's Eye Design - Web Site Design/Marketing/Internet Consulting
http://www.windseye.com
David Evans
Dru Jay <hous...@olympus.net> wrote:
> Is any of this in a FAQ anywhere?
>
> Why isn't CK the dev guy anymore?
>
Don't know.
> Current status of java capabilities (or licensing)?
>
A couple of people are working on ports; I don't know if they are
implementations from scratch or based on Sun's version.
> QuicktimeVR? OpenGL? POVRay? AVI?! Other cool stuff?
>
POV is done; check out http://www.bespecific.com/.
> Has Netscape said anything about developing..?
>
Not that I know of.
> Is there a list of developers who have signed up, or are y'all keeping the
> policy of making that their business?
>
I don't think there's a publically-available list, although you can get a
pretty good idea who they are around here; they're the ones with the machines.
:-)
> What is the status of any Webservers being developed.. Is starnine
> (quarterdeck) a developer?
>
The box ships with a simple one; I know of a developer (can't recall the
name) who is working on one that should be pretty neat.
--
David Evans (NeXTMail OK) dfe...@bbcr.uwaterloo.ca
Computer/Synth Junkie http://bbcr.uwaterloo.ca/~dfevans/
University of Waterloo "Default is the value selected by the composer
Ontario, Canada overridden by your command." - Roland TR-707 Manual
Jimmy McKinney
> Is any of this in a FAQ anywhere?
no. if someone doesnt make one soon, i may do it myself, if i get time
away from playing with the 'Box and IRC.
> Why isn't CK the dev guy anymore?
I dont know. I'd like to hear this one myself, but so far the issue seems
to have been glossed over.
> Did Apple really want $6million for a quicktime license?
> Current status of java capabilities (or licensing)?
don't know anything about these
> QuicktimeVR? OpenGL? POVRay? AVI?! Other cool stuff?
dont know, MesaGL or whatever its called is being done, two versions, no
clue, want ISO 9660 myself.
> Has Netscape said anything about developing..?
>
> Is there a list of developers who have signed up, or are y'all keeping the
> policy of making that their business?
Hi, i'm one! ;)
> Will future BeBoxes use DIMMs?
Dont know ;)
> What about lisencing the BeOS?
talk to be, they definitely plan to do this, and i think some basic info
is on their web page
> (is there ever going to be) support for other languages?
python exists (see http://www.python.org and comp.lang.python)
i certainly hope to see more, since i have an allergy to C and its
derivatives
> What is the status of any Webservers being developed.. Is starnine
> (quarterdeck) a developer?
Peter Lewis (i think) has released a preliminary web server i think.
________
--Jimmy McKinney-(IRC Gregor)- | _____] -------...@iglou.com-------
"A Shining Beacon in | | ___ "It was the dawn of the
space...all alone in |__|[_ \ Third Age of Mankind...
the night" _ B A B__ Y \ L| O N the year the Great War
http://www.iglou.com \__home ( \__/ | came upon us all."
/members/vorlon.html _/ page \______/ -B5 intro season 2
Note: 8 Lines. ASCII pic. It's intentional. I despise conformity.
Michael K. Sanders
>> What is the status of any Webservers being developed.. Is starnine
>> (quarterdeck) a developer?
dfevans> The box ships with a simple one; I know of a developer
dfevans> (can't recall the name) who is working on one that should be
dfevans> pretty neat.
The box ships with a simple _browser_, not server. :)
Peter Lewis is working on a server...
ftp://ftp.stairways.com/pub/peterlewis/be
--
... Michael K. Sanders :: msan...@confusion.net :: The Confusion Network ...
<A HREF="http://www.Be.com/"> To Be, or not to be, there is no question. </A>
David Evans
Michael K. Sanders <msan...@euthanasia.confusion.net> wrote:
>>>>>> "dfevans" == David Evans <dfe...@bbcr.uwaterloo.ca> writes:
>
>>> What is the status of any Webservers being developed.. Is starnine
>>> (quarterdeck) a developer?
>
>dfevans> The box ships with a simple one; I know of a developer
>dfevans> (can't recall the name) who is working on one that should be
>dfevans> pretty neat.
>
>The box ships with a simple _browser_, not server. :)
>
Oops--yeah. I realised about 1 minutes after I made my post that I pooched
that one. Still, what I said was at least true of the browser. :-)
Jimmy McKinney
> > Is there a list of developers who have signed up, or are y'all keeping the
> > policy of making that their business?
>
> The Be Newsletter profiles a Be Developer in every issue and seems to be the only
> "official" disclosure from Be that so-and-so is a Be Developer. I quite frankly
> have no problems about divulging this fact but there might be other companies
> that want to keep it quiet for now....why? I dunno...maybe the Be developement at
> these companies is a pirate project. ;) (ie. one that management knows nothing
> about...isn't that what they're called; pirate projects?)
Another reason is that the company may not have the
ability/time/desire/whatever to deal with either the public itself, or a
bunch of email asking em questions about the system (this was more
important back before the dev boxes started shipping in a major way), or
even they just deal with other companies.
I know of at least one such, and no, i'm not saying who ;)
> People have implemented a bunch of languages for the Be but I don't expect the
a bunch? like what? only one i know of for sure is python ;)
> BeOS to shy away from C++. I'd state my opinions about C++ but I feel that that
> just going to revive a C++ war that seems to have calmed down....
I have no such qualms ;) I hate it with a passion :-)
Feel free to disagree, but you wont change my mind :-)
It's inherent to the way i learn/do/think of things, and isnt really
subject to rapid alteration of the sort arguments generally provoke.
In other words, i could concievably grant you any of a large number of
advantages, but it still wouldnt change things.
----the hardware FAQ----
> *** MOUSE ***
> REQUIRED SPECS
> --------------
> Type: A PS/2 compatible mouse with the standard 6-pin male DIN connector.
>
> Note: There have been many reports of some kinds of mice not working
> on the BeBox. For right now you can only be sure a mouse works on the
> BeBox by trying it.
actually this isnt quite the whole truth...(some) serial mice work fine
on the bebox. part of the problem with the PS/2 mice was found to be an
I/O card part problem, and has been corrected for newer machines i think.
info was in one of the Be newsletters.
> *** HARD DRIVE ***
> REQUIRED SPECS
> --------------
>
> Type: Any 3.5" IDE, 50-pin SCSI, or 50-pin SCSI-2 hard drive.
>
> Size: Any size up to 1 terabyte (that's more than a million megabytes)
> can be handled by the OS, but the actual maximum size that can be
> handled by a particular interface standard may be significantly less.
> The bottom line is that no existing drive has a higher storage capacity
> than can be handled by the BeBox.
On the other hand, the COMBINED size should be capable of this, maybe.
> Configuration: The current BeBox has space for two internal 3.5"
> half-height drives.
yes, if you mount them upside down.
i have yet to hear any firm word on this, but i know that there was
apparently a problem with certain conner HD's crashing because they didnt
like this orientation, and that other drives will only last 25% of their
rated lifespan.
So far, my quantum doesnt seem to mind it, but i definitely would feel
more comfortable if someone at Be or better yet, the manufacturer would
make some sort of statement on this.
> Compatability: SCSI drives that use 25-pin connectors (the type used
> in Macintoshes) can be used on a BeBox by using the correct type of cable
> made to connect a 25-pin SCSI device to a 50-pin SCSI interface.
Yeah it costs about $30 and is hard as hell to find.
Another option is <50 pin SCSI2 fast-50 pin Centronics> <50 pin
centronics-25 pin DB25>
this will be MUCH more expensive. Better to have the cable made, most likely.
> RECOMMENDED
> -----------
>
> Size: At least 500 MB is a reasonable minimum size, but one gigabyte
> (1024 MB) drive is recommended.
though i dont see why. I have yet to use over 25% of the space on my 812
meg, and most of the space i DO use is taken up by the demo animations,
and various things i have on my harddrive like python (7 megs, full
source) and other such archives. I imagine this will change once i start
full bore into development (been busy reading the BeBook and playing
around with my machine....well whaddaya want, ive only had it two weeks
today...or is it three? Times flies and all that...)
> *** FLOPPY DISK DRIVE ***
> REQUIRED SPECS
> --------------
>
> Type: Industry standard 3.5" MFM floppy drives (with a 34-pin ribbon
> connector).
>
> RECOMMENDED
> -----------
>
> Format: Double or high density drives can be used, but high density
> is strongly recommended.
double can? it never seems to work here. how do you get tar to recognize
a DD disk, or even an HD disk archived on a DD drive?
how do you specify how you want it formatted?
> *** CD-ROM ***
> Brand: Currently the Toshiba model is recommended because when using
> Sony models the software currently can't sample audio or fast-forward
> audio CD's in the Sony drives. This will likely be fixed in a later
> OS release.
yes, among other bugs in that portion of the OS. I certainly hope it'll
be fixed soon, not to mention support ISO9660 CDROMs
Of them, the latter is definitely higher priority (at least for me)
> *** ZIP DRIVES ***
>
> SCSI ZIP drives are reported to work on the BeBox with no additional
> driver software required.
but you will need the above mentioned adapter cable to connect it to the
50 pin port
> *** MONITOR ***
> REQUIRED SPECS
> --------------
> Display size: The BeBox can currently display screens with pixel
> dimensions of sizes of 640 x 400, 800 x 600, and 1024 x 769 (under
> DR7).
Get a good SVGA monitor
Mine does 1280x1024, .28 dot pitch, Energy conservation (not yet
supported in the BeOS, though planned i think. i believe jpalmer said it
was pretty much a software issue, though i wont swear to it), digital
controls, swivel base, etc etc etc. It's a 15" BTW, and noninterlaced
Got it for $279 from Best Buy.
This of course assumes you dont get something better like a multisync
> Type: A multiscan monitor is recommended.
err dont you mean multisync? AFAIK multiscan just means it can do
multiple resolutions... whereas multisync can sync to different scan
rates. Or are they exactly they same thing, and i dont know what i'm
talking about? (Thats not unlikely ;)
> *** DISPLAY CONTROLLER ***
> REQUIRED SPECS
> --------------
>
> Type: The only card that can currently be used is #9GXE64 models
> designed for PCI slots. The #9GXE64 Pro model is supposedly not
> officially supported but some have reported that it does work.
nope, there is a beta driver for certain cirrus chipsets on the Be
website. I posted info about it not too long ago...
> *** MODEM ***
> REQUIRED SPECS
> --------------
>
> Type: You may use standard RS-232 external modems, or PCI internal
> modems.
Which isnt to say that theres tons of use for one unless you are
developing telecommunications software, or you have a leased line or
something...dynamic IP ppp connections wont be out till DR7, and the
BeBox doesnt come with a terminal emulator as yet.
If you cant or dont want to write such a thing, I hope you either have
another computer on the net to which you can either connect a zip drive
or tar to a HD floppy or ethernet to the bebox, OR enough patience to
wait for DR7 or type in someone elses terminal sources once they are
released ;)
whew, i hope that made sense ;)
Sorry if that sounded a bit bitter (it wasnt meant to be), I just like
for people to know fully what they are in for ;)
Information is your friend :-)
David Evans
Jimmy McKinney <vor...@iglou.com> wrote:
>> *** MOUSE ***
>> REQUIRED SPECS
>> --------------
>> Type: A PS/2 compatible mouse with the standard 6-pin male DIN connector.
>>
>> Note: There have been many reports of some kinds of mice not working
>> on the BeBox. For right now you can only be sure a mouse works on the
>> BeBox by trying it.
>
>actually this isnt quite the whole truth...(some) serial mice work fine
>on the bebox. part of the problem with the PS/2 mice was found to be an
>I/O card part problem, and has been corrected for newer machines i think.
>info was in one of the Be newsletters.
>
Does anyone know at which serial number the fix was made?
Sure wish CompUSA hadn't strung me along for a *month* saying they had a
GXE64 and then told me they couldn't get it...
Scott D McLean
>> Is there a list of developers who have signed up, or are y'all keeping the
>> policy of making that their business?
>>
I asked CK for a list a while back and he said they were in the process of
compiling one. After it is done it will either be on the website, or maybe
in a newsletter. I guess, they want to be carefull who is on the list because
some developers are keeping things quite until either the BeBox, or their
product ships...
Later,
Scott
--
*****************************************************************************
* Scott Douglas McLean R.I.T. Mens Varsity Crew *
* sdm...@cs.rit.edu BeBox Developer *
******************** -- http://www.rit.edu/~sdm5202 -- ********************
Joseph Palmer
> > half-height drives.
>
> yes, if you mount them upside down.
> i have yet to hear any firm word on this, but i know that there was
> apparently a problem with certain conner HD's crashing because they didnt
> like this orientation, and that other drives will only last 25% of their
> rated lifespan.
We've checked out the specs on a large number of drives, they all permit
mounting in any orientation, with no mention of lifespan. Drives mostly come
with 5 year warantees these days, you'd think they would mention orientation
if it would affect their warantee costs.
Older multiplatter 80MB disks might have had a restriction on orientation,
we have not found any currently shipping disks with these restrictions.
I would like to hear if anyone has documentation for a modern drive
that actualy shows upside-down mounting as a problem, You can Email
me (jpa...@be.com) with the info (And a URL if it points to a Disk
drive maker) or fax it to [USA (415) 462-4129]
Thanks.
________________________________
Joseph Palmer ***** Please send mail to jpa...@be.com
Director of Hardware Engineering ***** http://www.be.com
Be, Incorporated.
Dru Jay
> compiling one. After it is done it will either be on the website, or maybe
> in a newsletter. I guess, they want to be carefull who is on the list because
> some developers are keeping things quite until either the BeBox, or their
> product ships...
to add to this, I asked Mark Gonzales the same question this weekend and
he said that they had to get permission from each developer to be able to
supply that imformation. All the info exists, but they need the
permission of the developers to supply that publicly. If I get any info
I'll go ahead and post it. (provided thats ok).
Mark Gonzales
> Did Apple really want $6million for a quicktime license?
Though the figure is slightly inflated, the general answer is yes and the
number was in many millions. Be remains in discussions on this matter.
> Current status of java capabilities (or licensing)?
Be itself does not yet have a Java license (not a big deal, just we
haven't got around to it yet.) There are Java interpreter ports starting
outside of the company, so we don't plan to do it ourselves. however, we
are committed to getting it done, so will take any steps needed in the
future to ensure it's there.
> QuicktimeVR? OpenGL? POVRay? AVI?! Other cool stuff?
We are examining 3-D models now (and invite any discussion of models that
would help spell out pros/cons from developer viewpoint. On the video
front, we will definitely move to support MPEG soon. As for QTVR and
QuickDraw 3d, see the question about Apple licensing above.
> Has Netscape said anything about developing..?
Netscape has made no announcements. They are supportive of us, and have
equipment.
> Is there a list of developers who have signed up, or are y'all keeping the
> policy of making that their business?
We have received a number of requests like this, so we'll likely send out
a release to current developers soon. Our policy is to keep all
information developers give us strictly confidential, so we'll need to get
permission before we release info.
> Will future BeBoxes use DIMMs?
Perhaps. Right now it's SIMMs though.
> What about lisencing the BeOS?
We will license the Be OS to other companies. We are in discussions with
a few companies currently.
> (is there ever going to be) support for other languages?
Human languages: yes. Roman character languages are already supported.
We will move to unicode as soon as possible, but we have not announced a
date yet. Programming languages: yes, I would expect so. However expect
that Be itself will remain with C/C++ for some time (which means the APIs
will be in that form for some time.)
> What is the status of any Webservers being developed.. Is starnine
> (quarterdeck) a developer?
See above on confidentiality. There are multiple web server projects
underway, it looks like.
> Why isn't CK the dev guy anymore?
CK left Be to persue some other interests. No reflection on him or on Be,
just a mutual decision. We are currently looking for people to fill
technical support and product marketing/evangelism roles, so if you know
some good people, send them our way. Until then, we've divided up the
question-answering work here at Be, so we'll keep the answers coming.
Jon Watte
In article <housojay-230...@ptpm018.olympus.net>,
hous...@olympus.net (Dru Jay) wrote:
> Is any of this in a FAQ anywhere?
You can try http://www.be.com and http://www.bespecific.com
> Did Apple really want $6million for a quicktime license?
No; they wanted $5million for a QuickTime license.
> Current status of java capabilities (or licensing)?
Java sources, for a development environment, are cheaper than QuickTime,
but still not cheap enough that anyone has yet found it viable to do a real
Be product. I hope someone in education can do a non-profit port.
> QuicktimeVR? OpenGL? POVRay? AVI?! Other cool stuff?
Too expensive.
Possible (I hear someone outside of Be is looking into it).
Already ported (http://www.bespecific.com).
Lame; Be goes for MPEG instead.
There is more cool stuff, but I think the boom will come once there are
machines for real hackers, not just developers who need to pay the bills
with the machine :-)
> Will future BeBoxes use DIMMs?
Why DIMM when there's SRAM? :-) Seriously, since they're still at the
design stage for the next model, don't worry about that yet. I would be
*very* surprised if the next model is out by Christmas. Bask in the glory
of the current machine; it's quite enough, I tell you :-)
> What about lisencing the BeOS?
$50/unit licens, no bullshit. I think that actually includes the schematics
for the box as well.
> (is there ever going to be) support for other languages?
Yes. The easiest thing when porting stuff like Oberon (happening) and
Python (already there) is to put it on top of a glue layer in C++ that
links to the interface DLL. That circumvents the need to stay compatible
with vtable formats, object layout, name mangling etc.
> What is the status of any Webservers being developed.. Is starnine
> (quarterdeck) a developer?
I don't know, but Peter Lewis has written a web server that's pretty
useful, though minimalistic. I think you even get source. It works; we've
tried it.
Cheers,
/ h+
--
Jon Watte, Austin, TX
Play: hp...@realtime.net; Work: h...@metrowerks.com
"What, me worry?"
Hugo Fiennes
: > Did Apple really want $6million for a quicktime license?
: No; they wanted $5million for a QuickTime license.
Erm, on the acorn there are quicktime players (I believe one is called
MovieFS) made by small software companies who definitely don't have $5million.
Perhaps a port of one of those might be a good idea, to at least get QT
playing supported.
Hugo
--
I'd like to be apathetic, but to be honest I can't be bothered.
Osma Ahvenlampi
>> (is there ever going to be) support for other languages?
>Yes. The easiest thing when porting stuff like Oberon (happening) and
>Python (already there) is to put it on top of a glue layer in C++ that
>links to the interface DLL. That circumvents the need to stay compatible
>with vtable formats, object layout, name mangling etc.
While the BEST thing would be that the API was all message-based (not
necessary BMessage, although that wouldn't matter) and language
independent. That would circumvent all of the above, including a need
to haave a C++ glue layer.. ;)
--
Creditors have much better memories than debtors.
| "Osma Ahvenlampi" <mailto:o...@iki.fi> <http://www.iki.fi/~oa/> |
| Amiga&BeBox&ClassAct&Voodoo&ARTech cool stuff: I-Net225&AWeb |
--
Jon Watte
In article <jdjravg...@hyppynaru.cs.hut.fi>,
oahv...@hyppynaru.cs.hut.fi (Osma Ahvenlampi) wrote:
> While the BEST thing would be that the API was all message-based (not
> necessary BMessage, although that wouldn't matter) and language
> independent. That would circumvent all of the above, including a need
> to haave a C++ glue layer.. ;)
You could write a server in C++ that accepted messages, and rendered into
windows. Of course, that's already what the app_server does, but that API
is not publicly documented.
Narayan Raj Sainaney
>pretty good idea who they are around here; they're the ones with the machines.
>:-)
And those whining about when their machines will get here =)
Narayan <- not much longer I'm told
Osma Ahvenlampi
>Every time I see mention of this it makes my brain cells pop.
>I certainly hope Be doesn't spend anywhere near even 1mil for a
>QuickTime license. For that much money your could seed oodles
>of stark raving mad developers with machines and get much more
>than a million in return for your efforts.
I'm pretty sure that if Be gave the author of xanim a machine and one
million, he'd be happy to port xanim to BeOS and add a couple of more
QT codecs. ;)
--
Howe's Law: Everyone has a scheme that will not work.