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[Photon]

Originally Posted by Thomas Richter

Let me just check my calendar..... actually, yes it is 2024. Strange that you haven't noticed. If you have a source for floppy disks, it would be great to know because we were really short of supply for delivering 3.1.4. What *is* actually non-sensical is that you seem to believe that this is still a practical solution for delivering software.

You don't have to perpetuate the use of floppy disks for software distribution for 3.1.4. The entire Amiga can be emulated, leaving the physical computer an unused adornment. If you must use disk images instead of archives, just put them online, this is the modern way for all OSes.

Similarly, parts of the physical computer can be replaced with modern or emulated counterparts. Before they start working and after they stop working, if the system doesn't boot fully to the harddisk, bootable floppy images are once again needed.

Finally, complete Amiga systems (containing all parts) were sold without a harddisk, and without an interface port for one. Clearly, these were intended to be used without it, and also function as designed without it. Here, booting floppies is the only option. The choice to purchase a harddisk interface and a harddisk is left to the owner.

Additionally, on harddisk systems, you can still use the common practice of trying software before making changes to your existing OS installation, to see if it's for you, and also run from (as opposed to distribute on and install from) floppy.

Redistributing files like in topic is mostly only to make it easier to try software, and to make the release self-contained. This is greatly desired, both on the part of the author and user.

[Thomas Richter]

Originally Posted by Photon

You don't have to perpetuate the use of floppy disks for software distribution for 3.1.4. The entire Amiga can be emulated, leaving the physical computer an unused adornment. If you must use disk images instead of archives, just put them online, this is the modern way for all OSes.

Yeah, right, when's the last time I have seen a disk image for installation of software anything modern?



Anyhow, let's put it like this: I see what Cloanto is doing here something like collecting "idiot's tax": If you do not know the toolchain and the installer, you have to pay or you have the pain. If you're doing it properly, there is no issue. Just do it right to begin with, and nothing is actually wrong here at all.

Originally Posted by Photon

Finally, complete Amiga systems (containing all parts) were sold without a harddisk, and without an interface port for one.

That was in the last millenium, actually. How many Amigas *are* actually still being used without a harddisk? That is probably the more relevant question.

[saimon69]

Originally Posted by Thomas Richter

That was in the last millenium, actually. How many Amigas *are* actually still being used without a harddisk? That is probably the more relevant question.

My 500 is, but is an 1.2 so will need to get at least a kickstart swapper if i ever want to use an HD (and a gotek or something similar since the floppy is long dead)

[Photon]

Originally Posted by Thomas Richter

Yeah, right, when's the last time I have seen a disk image for installation of software anything modern?

This is why I brought up CloanTo's installation disks. 3.1.4 seems modern?

• Modern interfaces come with floppies (storage, network, mouse etc.) If other new peripherals or graphics cards are made, one option is to provide floppies. Any peripheral may opt to backup flashed images, settings, or other settings to floppy.
  
• New games are published and sold on floppy disk. WHDLoad etc is almost exclusively built around most or all games having been imaged from bootable, self-contained floppies.
  
• New demos are regularly made for floppy, in the pursuit to make something impressive on platforms with specific limits.
  
• New diagnostics software come on floppy disk.

Originally Posted by Thomas Richter

How many Amigas *are* actually still being used without a harddisk? That is probably the more relevant question.

I think the question is rather, how often do you try new software suggested above? This applies to online archived installers as well, which you can also question.

All Amigas have floppy. The fact that many also have a harddisk seems irrelevant; for many, most of the space seems taken by floppy images. I don't know what you would do in Workbench all day, but part of my Amiga days are spent booting floppies, and I think this is true for many. WHDLoad, emulators, and the licensed A500 Mini and likely the upcoming one perpetuate the use of bootable floppies.

Me, I don't have a problem with bootable floppies. If anything, I would like to see license owners support them much better than in non-modern times.

[Minuous]

Originally Posted by Thomas Richter

I see what Cloanto is doing here something like collecting "idiot's tax"

This applies to anyone who gives money to Cloanto for any reason really :-D Their whole business model consists of collecting "idiot's taxes".

[Amiga1992]

Originally Posted by Thomas Richter

How many Amigas *are* actually still being used without a harddisk? That is probably the more relevant question.

It's pretty weird that your whole argument hinges on this one non-fact. Again, cover your eyes as much as you want, but many, many people do not meet your criteria of "Amiga user" and don't care for any of the "modern solutions" you say we're so "foolish" to want to support.

[Thomas Richter]

And how do you want to back up your statistics? Potentially, a large user group works through emulation, but then a hard disk emulation is the easiest possible approach anyhow.

[Thorham]

Originally Posted by Thomas Richter

Yeah, right, when's the last time I have seen a disk image for installation of software anything modern?

Windows 11