Thinking of offering a Amiga CF/HDD setup service

[amigakit.com]

We already provide this technical service from our full time Amiga Technician for £9.99 here:

http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/...roducts_id=239

We also provide compatible 4GB CF drives ready formatted/prepped with cabling/interface for the A1200/600 or Amiga 4000 / 4000T. Each drive is preloaded with our OS-Install software to make it easy for customer to install their OS:



Of course, distribution of Workbench or an part of AmigaOS without licence is prohibited.

[Allen1]

@amigakit.com

That's a very nice and useful service you are providing there.

What Steve is intending, is to install is a complete setup which will only require the sender/buyer to install their own roms and workbench floppies, similar to your own idea but including a game system as well as a fully functioning (when activated) enhanced workbench environment.


The whole kickstart and workbench silliness is still ongoing but realistically, if a buyer or sender actually owns a legal copy of Amiga Forever then whether they have the disks or not is still a grey area, especially as they do have a legal copy of floppies and Roms on said CD. What a crazy situation this is!

[Wasagi]

This isn't exactly what Steve is offering. This is a classic WB setup with games. Your technician service isn't very descriptive.

Originally Posted by amigakit.com

We already provide this technical service from our full time Amiga Technician for £9.99 here:

http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/...roducts_id=239

We also provide compatible 4GB CF drives ready formatted/prepped with cabling/interface for the A1200/600 or Amiga 4000 / 4000T. Each drive is preloaded with our OS-Install software to make it easy for customer to install their OS:



Of course, distribution of Workbench or an part of AmigaOS without licence is prohibited.

[fitzsteve]

Firstly I want to say that I really appreciate what Amigakit are doing, keeping the Amiga scene alive in some respects with upgrades and spares

What I am offering is a complete installation for those who cannot get WHDLoad/Classic Workbench up and running becuase maybe they do not have the skills, time or an emulation enviroment to work in.

I need to consider the copyright issues, Classic workbench as you know requires a real set of workbench disks to activate.

I need be clear on any legal issues as I am not selling Workbench or any Roms, I am only selling my 'time.'

Its all still a concept idea as we've not hear from Bloodwych yet.

Thanks for everyones input, I just hope I didn't open a can of wiggly worms

Steve.

[amigakit.com]

Ok, I understand.

We have just obtained permission for WHDLOAD (unregistered) to be distributed with our hard disks (thanks to WEPL). In addition we can pre-install any APL / GPL software that the customer may want, but we are always very careful not to infringe any licenses or copyrights.

[Allen1]

Originally Posted by amigakit.com

Ok, I understand.

We have just obtained permission for WHDLOAD (unregistered) to be distributed with our hard disks (thanks to WEPL). In addition we can pre-install any APL / GPL software that the customer may want, but we are always very careful not to infringe any licenses or copyrights.

That is indeed very good for you, but if your intentions are to put people off from using your services then you have succeed very well. Please refrain from flogging your wares in this way, although I respect your dedication to your shop and its sales, is this the right way to go about it?

Steve is no threat to you or your business so please stop making a competition out of this, it is distasteful to say the least and there is absolutely NO way you should be acting in that manner.

[Wasagi]

Agree

Originally Posted by Allen1

That is indeed very good for you, but if your intentions are to put people off from using your services then you have succeed very well. Please refrain from flogging your wares in this way, although I respect your dedication to your shop and its sales, is this the right way to go about it?

Steve is no threat to you or your business so please stop making a competition out of this, it is distasteful to say the least and there is absolutely NO way you should be acting in that manner.

[fitzsteve]

Well guys pending what Mr Bloodwych has to say and whether I can get around any potential legal issues I think we could have something here.

I'm thinking to leave the activation of CWB in place but to have it pre configured with the games lists, assigns, IGame screenshots, etc.

Would probably have to leave out the Kickstart Roms used by WHDLoad but they would be simple for the end user to transfer with a PCMCIA CF as the drivers are part of CWB.

Might do some testing over the weekend regarding the activation with updated settings.

[Bloodwych]

You have my permission, kind of Zetro to put up a funding list, but really the packs are made up of other peoples work too so I personally would want nothing from this. Just as others in the Amiga scene, I do it for free, enjoyment and love of the community - it's give and take.

If I accepted kind gifts, I'd put a donation button on the website, which I think is the right way to do it like AmigaSYS.

I have seen and had a moan about people in the past (and present) who sell a ClassicWB/WHDLoad/KGLoad etc service like this on ebay without asking first or placing a link to where all the software came from. Those are the ones that make me mad as they have no respect for the community; just want to bleed it dry for their own selfish benefit and give nothing in return.

Asking the community like this and offering a really useful service for others without extortionate pricing is fine - shows respect and benefits people. It has to be a paid for service because you are going out of your way to help people achieve something on demand and in a set time - to mess around installing, posting, buying parts etc and help after sales for free is not realistic.

The real issue is going to be the copyright side of things and offering the service in a way that's not going leave you open for attack, as others may have business interests even in 2010. Still, peeps on ebay seem to get away with it quite often.

[amigakit.com]

@Allen1

OK, well I think there are some cross-wires here. There is no "competition" as you have suggested intended on my behalf. I was approaching this from a collaborative stand-point. Many features of the new version of OS-Install in development are geared for setting up a optimal Classic Amiga hard disk that is geared for WHDLoad gaming especially. It was intended that the gaming menu etc that has been developed would be made freely available for the Community to use as well.

@fitzsteve
Best of luck with the hard disk image.

[Allen1]

@amigakit.com

Maybe you don't intend coming on so strong with advertising your services, never the less, you did do so. Most folk know you provide some pretty good services along with hardware etc and no one will try to take that away from you, it does not mean that an individual shouldn't have the opportunity to look elsewhere to see what is available.

I still think it was pretty disrespectful whether intentional or otherwise to advertise your wares in this particular thread and come back with the second offering which was basically copying what Steve had intended to do, if or when he got permission. Both of you will do a good job of that I have no doubt but this was not meant as a big business venture, it was simply a member using his gained knowledge to help others get their systems running the best he can and getting a couple of pounds for his time.

There has been more than enough said about this particular indiscretion I would think so I will leave it as is and wish you both a healthy flow of people requiring your services.

[fitzsteve]

Well the good news seems to be that I can add the populated games lists and updated assigns back into a the Classic Workbench System.hdf so even after I've fully setup the workbench onto the CF card it can be shipped without the copy protected workbench files.

All the end user needs to do is activate with a workbench disk and its ready to run, all the games from the games partitions would be already 'added' and the assigns updated to reflect their location.

I made a quick video of the activation process as you'll after activations the games menu loads without the need to add the games or setup the assigns, the same should be true for IGame screenshots and such on the more advanced packs, I can have all these pre setup prior to activation. Also I'd moved the CF0 to Devs/DosDrivers for the PCMCIA CF Adapter to auto mount =)

Anyway here's that vid (sorry shot it very low quality) the background noise is my Guinea Pigs, ignore them

*EDIT Video Replaced*

Steve.

[Allen1]

Wow, that was quick, it looks like many a user will get a brilliant setup that is easy to use straight after its activation. I don't even have this on my systems but that's where I will play around with the microdrives (I know who to get in touch with if I got stuck)

Anyway I love guinea pigs, the real downside is they come in different sizes.............I'm never quite sure how long to cook them for My nephews used to have some and they were Very noisy but friendly little blighter's. and handy when you didn't have a hanky Hahahaaa ............ just kidding.

[fitzsteve]

We get to leave work at 4pm on Fridays so I had a couple of hours to kill before the wife gets in =)

Will have a try with a more advanced pack tomorrow on a larger HDD to see if I can get all the Demo's, IGame Screenshot, etc working straight after activation

[kipper2k]

Originally Posted by fitzsteve

Well the good news seems to be that I can add the populated games lists and updated assigns back into a the Classic Workbench System.hdf so even after I've fully setup the workbench onto the CF card it can be shipped without the copy protected workbench files.

All the end user needs to do is activate with a workbench disk and its ready to run, all the games from the games partitions would be already 'added' and the assigns updated to reflect their location.

I made a quick video of the activation process as you'll after activations the games menu loads without the need to add the games or setup the assigns, the same should be true for IGame screenshots and such on the more advanced packs, I can have all these pre setup prior to activation. Also I'd moved the CF0 to Devs/DosDrivers for the PCMCIA CF Adapter to auto mount =)

Anyway here's that vid (sorry shot it very low quality) the background noise is my Guinea Pigs, ignore them

[ Show youtube player ]

Steve.

Hi Steve,

Let me try to confirm the process, You will pre-format the CF card into system and games partitions, preload games and system files (with the verification required by end user). So the end user simply plugs in the CF card to the IDE port on the Amiga (which Amiga's are you doing btw?), The CF card loads, you insert the Workbench disk to finalise installation and I'm assuming putting our own WHDload key into the S: dir.

Close ?

[fitzsteve]

Originally Posted by kipper2k

Hi Steve,

Let me try to confirm the process, You will pre-format the CF card into system and games partitions, preload games and system files (with the verification required by end user). So the end user simply plugs in the CF card to the IDE port on the Amiga (which Amiga's are you doing btw?), The CF card loads, you insert the Workbench disk to finalise installation and I'm assuming putting our own WHDload key into the S: dir.

Close ?

Exactly

But you will also need to Kickstart Images that are used by WHDLoad, they go in Devs/Kickstarts/

I could do any Classic Workbench pack so it covers all Amiga's with an IDE port although I'm not 100% sure on the OS3.9 pack, that won't be so easy for user activation.

I could probably even do P96 setups for RTG, but that would take some work!

Steve.

[fitzsteve]

By the way thank you bloodwych for your comments and approval

Ill try the bigger packs over the weekend and see what other input I get.

Thanks everyone for your replys.

Steve.

[cosmicfrog]

great idea M8 hope it all works out and you get to help lots of new ami users

now will you installs support cf`s greater than 4 gig

[fitzsteve]

Originally Posted by cosmicfrog

great idea M8 hope it all works out and you get to help lots of new ami users

now will you installs support cf`s greater than 4 gig

Thanks mate, I'll have to sit down and get my head round the whole >4gb stuff. There's plenty of guides out there anyway but I'd like to have setup quite a few before I offer that service.

Steve.

[Photon]

I think it's okay, even if the image has AmigaOS on it. Even if I hold Amiga above any other computer, I think it's more about "the one who's even willing to do the work should be allowed to do it" these days. It's much more important for me (and likely the community?) that we get as many Amigas up and running out there instead of them rotting away. While I can and have installed Amigas, it's better for everyone including any holders of Amiga-related property if Amigas don't go to hoarders or to the heap, but get used.

Obviously there is a market for installation services, since not all know or remember how to do it all. A downloadable image or archive could be the cure for that, and I'd rather see preinstalled cards than sending harddisks around, but that's up to those who are willing to do the work.

There are some other aspects, such as that I think WHDLoad "rips off" a larger number of deserving companies, but again those neither support nor deny the alleged ripping off, so it's equally hard to see who is hurt. If a game company or OS developer steps up and actively supports Amiga and doesn't only defend purchased rights or some remnant of a contract that was vital in another time only, their rights should be respected by all.

My focus is on Amiga only. With no development of software or hardware by those once involved, all that is left is to support anyone who helps the original hardware get running the software that makes it a usable and lovely computer.

So anyone opposing this should instead be invited to provide the same. That includes Amigakit, famous EAB members, and eBay sellers. There's no need to set an "acceptable price", nor to undersell those who sell components such as floppy disks or CDs/DVDs containing other lovely things because of how they feel about their prices. Nor does one actor need to provide "everything for Amiga". Room for all.

As many as possible providing an easy means to use their Amiga in a modern and progressive is the only constructive way forward, as I see it.