. The design also requires less space and cooling than traditional supercomputers. Although the technology behind the machine is sound, there are still some implementation issues to resolve, such as determining the best way of programming the FPGAs for a given problem.
Or: we read the newsgroups so you don't have to.One year on from when the A9home was first unveiled - it was infact sneaked into the Advantage 6 show theatre in a "makeup bag" - we see the release of the A9home.
CJE, who are A6's retail partners for the A9, were "so happy" with the hardware and progress, that they were confident to begin selling it at the show.
While A6 were disappointed that they are not yet able to totally sign-off the project - there are still niggles, not major problems, with the system, such as providing USB printing (32 bit printer drivers) and the serial port is apparently "not good".
So while the A9home is "not ready for everybody", it is "getting very close". People will have to be patient for the "I want everything release". The iterative beta testing programme shows there is still some work to do, but everything is "much closer each time things go out".
RISCOS Ltd have been in touch detailing their achievements over the 8 years they have been trading, and have announced that a 50,000 ordinary share issue will take place soon.In summary:
Technology, MicroDigital, RiscStation and Advantage 6.At the 2004 RISCOS Ltd AGM it was agreed to issue 50,000 ordinary shares. ROL will be shortly issuing these, and ask anyone who is interested in investing to contact them. (details in the Press Release) Previously, ROL shares have been sold for around £1.25 each with 50 new investors allowed each year, so this share issue has the potential to raise more than £50,000.
Money raised from the share issue will be "used to fund further development of RISC OS 4 beyond the limits of the cashflow generated by sales of RISC OS "Select" subscriptions and RISC OS "Adjust" ROMs. It will also be used to fund the development and acquisition of complimentary technologies for RISC OS."
Paul Middleton also detailed that "The full launch of the A9 computer, and then Select 4, are currently targetted for around May this year", perhaps at the Wakefield show, "and once completed attention can be focussed on the Iyonix". However, despite meeting the 100 user pledge target for Iyonix Select Paul said that "the current level of pledges is insufficient to cover the full amount of work needed. It is likely therefore that the first stage will be a limited release of features to users who have continued with their Select subscriptions and who pay a supplement."
Podcast 2 is now ready - a companion piece to the first, so not quite as long (17:20), but it does come with added telephonic communications.Links: Podcast 2 || dialup version || FTP directory
spent a "fleeting" hour at the show (just not while I was there), and no Omega, but I did get the next best thing - to talk to Dave Holden, the only outsider to have seen the Omega with his own eyes. 