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Contents

.Deimos Design cancels PPC support
.W3C Publishes First Public Working Draft of P3P 1.0

Phase5 and H&P kiss and make up?

May 18, 1998: In a joint anouncement after the recent World of Amiga show in London, and as a reaction to the plans revealed by Amiga Inc., Haage & Partner and phase 5 digital products have emphasized their full and continued support for the PowerPC integration. With joint efforts both vendors will further support the developers and the users of PowerPC technology, and will ensure a fast growing number of stunning and powerful applications. With many thousands of PowerUP boards beeing shipped so far, a number of installed systems which is rapidly growing, the PowerUP boards already provide an attractive market for all developers. This fact is underscored by many upcoming PowerUP releases of major Amiga software packages, and the increasing support of software vendors which has been agreed on during the WoA even after the announcements of Amiga Inc.

Haage & Partner and phase 5 digital products emphasized that the competition of their different approaches towards PowerPC integration, as well as the public dispute about this, are a matter of the past. "We will ensure that users of PowerUP system have a transparent integration of their PowerPC software, and will see a rich variety of most powerful applications to be released soon" say representatives of both companies. Further development of PowerPC system software shall be done with close consultations between the companies; beside that, cooperations in the development of powerful PowerPC-based system libraries and other OS extensions are being discussed.

In meetings of the managements of Haage & Partner and phase 5 digital products with Amiga Inc. already during the WoA show in London, it has been agreed that a new proposal will be presented to Amiga Inc. which outlines an alternative option to "Amiga Bridge" system planned by Amiga Inc.

This alternative is a new PowerPC-based system, which will feature the planned Amiga OS upgrade and can be out for sale in the retail channels by end of the year already. Beyond incorporating standard industry components and interfaces, such a system can provide additional options which allow for creative development and expansion in the spirit of the Amiga and can also run the current and next releases of AmigaOS.

Based on the PowerPC, this system will also provide continuity and innovation for all users and developers, and will allow the Amiga community to take part of such stunning developments such as Motorola's new AltiVec technology, an extension to the G4 PowerPC processors which will provide a breathtaking performance already early next year. With approval and support of Amiga Inc., this technology can introduce the long-awaited revival of the Amiga platform already this year, quickly providing a growing market of powerful systems which users can buy, and for which developers can develop and sell software and add-ons.

Haage & Partner and phase 5 digital products also encourage all Amiga developers who want to participate today in an existing innovation, and who want to be a part of an Amiga market which provides growth, continuity and innovation from now on and during the next years, to speak out now and commit themselves to support the PowerPC as the heart of the next generation of Amiga systems.

Deimos Design Cancels PPC Support

Date: 01/05/1998

Deimos Design, the team behind Maim & Mangle has decided to cancel any and all PPC support in it's forth coming title, Maim & Mangle. This was not an easy decision to reach, however, we feel this is the only ethical way for us to continue development.

This decision came as a result of many factors, and we would like to take the rest of this announcement to address these points. For the record, we fully believe that any hope the Amiga platform has of a future is with open, industry standard hardware, and an updated OS. However, we do not believe that this future lays with the PowerUp boards.

Cost Of The PowerUp Investment

An overwhelming factor is cost. The big-boxed PowerUp boards (the CS-PPC range, with a 50Mhz 060, a 233Mhz 604e, and no RAM) costs just under $2000 CAD after taxes. No other solutions exist. For that price, one could buy a complete Pentium II system. For the few benefits you get, we cannot justify the cost to ourselves (try as we might).

That is an economic reality that a lot of people (including some of us) will no longer ignore. Hence, not all of us will be buying PowerUp cards, now or in the future. Now, if we will not purchase these cards, it is simply hypocritical of us to ask fellow Amiga users to do so. We will not do that.

Lifespan of the Hardware

We also believe that the PowerUp boards are a short term stepping stone / hold over. There is no guarantee that a future AmigaOS will ever support these boards, and therefore, they potentially have even less value. Until the OS supports the HW, any and all future HW developments are one big bandage. It does nothing to heal the sickness, it only prolongs the suffering.

Which System To Use?

Our first priority upon obtaining the PowerUp hardware was to evaluate each SW system for ourselves, by ourselves. We ignored the statements from both sides (as each side is obviously biased towards their system) and decided to investigate them independently.

Suffice to say, that from our own analysis we decided that WarpUp was the best solution for Maim & Mangle. It clearly won us over on many factors:

1 - Documentation
2 - Installation and ease of use
3 - PPC native graphics support (RTG Master)
4 - Stable development system, which worked as documented
5 - Shared Libraries *now* - a large part of our shared code

We then decided that since our game would be supporting PPC hardware, Phase5 would understand our decision (even if they did not like it) as it would only mean more sales for them.

We could not be further from the truth! Basically, we were expected to support PowerUp, no matter what the cost. Our viewpoint was that our usage of WarpUp meant:

1 - It was still support for their fledging hardware
2 - It would mean more sales for them (regardless of the software used)
3 - Using PowerUp would adversely impact our development schedule
4 - Using PowerUp would effect the PPC support of the title (as less code was appropriate for the PPC side under PowerUp (the graphics system being a major consideration for this game))
5 - It would effect the overall quality of the title.

Despite the fact that is was still support for their product, it was not good enough. It was basically all or nothing.

We then decided to go back and re-evaluate PowerUp, with the potential side effect of scraping several months of work. Needless to say, we were not pleased.

Ulterior Motives?

As Phase5 are first and foremost an add-on hardware company, one has to wonder why they are so forceful about using only the PowerUp system. After all, no matter what software is used, it is only more sales for them (they are the only provider of Amiga PPC hardware).

It does not tax their support department, they have stated that WarpUP is not a supported system (obviously this job falls to H&P). It does not hamper future developments, WarpUp would have to adapt to future hardware developments, not the reverse. What then, is the problem?

In Deimos Designs opinion, it comes down to the fact that Phase5's objectives do not coincide with the Amigas future. Phase5 have publicly stated that PowerUp is a migration path to a "real PPC OS", with the side effect of speeding up the current host system (i.e. your Amiga). This has been stated in public forums and on the Phase5 website (http://www.phase5.de). It has also been stated that this "real PPC OS" is not the proposed Amiga OS 4.0. This can only mean that this "real PPC OS" is the planned A\Box OS, not a future revision of the Amiga OS.

That is fair enough - they are free to do whatever they please with their company and products. However, Deimos Design does not consider such plans helpful to the Amigas future and therefore we will not support their efforts with our software.

Why Not WarpUp?

At this point, you may ask "Well then, why not use WarpUp?" That is a very valid point, and one which we considered. Deimos Design had planned to go ahead with WarpUp until recent activities came to light.

The final straw came when Phase5 elected to put the PowerUp system software in the flash-ROM. We simply disagree with the practice of starting *any* software system from third party hardware.

The purpose of an expansion card ROM is to configure the card for OS usage, not to start up a dedicated OS extension. Despite asking Phase5 some valid, open questions, they chose to simply ignore us, rather than provide a valid technical justification.

You might now say, "Well WarpUp will find a way to disable the PowerUp software". Very true, there will always be a way around the PowerUp software, eventually. That is the key word, "eventually". Phase5 are free to change the manor in which the PowerUp SW is started with each and every update of the flash-ROM. This means that WarpUp could conceivably be disabled for weeks at a time, with each and every flash-ROM update. While WarpUp would eventually circumvent this, it would have a very negative effect on any products based on WarpUp. In Deimos Design's opinion, this is the desired effect.

Effects On Maim & Mangle and The World Foundry

The main concern is - what are the effects on Maim & Mangle and The World Foundry?

The first concern is Maim & Mangle. Unfortunately, some of the features will obviously have to be scaled back, or be removed completely. As far as the overall impact on Maim & Mangle, this is still under evaluation. When we have completed our evaluation, we will announce the results.

The second part is, how does this effect The World Foundry? Unfortunately, TWF is also drastically affected. The World Foundry was first and foremost established to create and promote utilisation of high end equipment by games. Obviously, Deimos Designs decision to cancel PPC support has a fundamental conflict with that goal.

Therefore, Deimos Design has withdrawn from The World Foundry, effective immediately. We would like to assure everyone that we still have a strong relationship with our former partners, however, we feel it would be unfair to them to remain a part of TWF.

To remove any and all doubt, we would like to state (on behalf of TWF) that Explorer 2260 PPC is still being actively developed. This announcement does not effect Explorer 2260, or the remaining members of TWF, only Deimos Design and M&M.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Deimos Design team has currently decided to revert to a 68K only development plan. We will not support attempts to migrate the remaining market to an alternate platform. The market needs to unite instead of bicker, now more than ever.

If the Amiga ever sees a native PPC OS, we will of course consider supporting it with PPC native games. However, at this point we will bow out of the Amiga PPC market.

We realise that this will not be a popular decision, and that not many people will agree with it. That is, of course, your right. No matter how unpopular this will make us, we stand by our decision and will not support a company that tries to artificially limit the end users choices. It is your right to run whatever software you want on hardware you have purchased, not a privilege which a company can revoke at will.

Any questions or comments should be directed to Deimos Design, not The World Foundry

George Hornmoen
ghornmoe@asg.unb.ca
(01/05/1998)

W3C Publishes First Public Working Draft of P3P 1.0

http://www.w3.org/ -- 19 May, 1998 -- The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) today announced the first public working draft of the Platform for Privacy Preferences (P3P)TM specification. P3P applications will enable sites to automatically declare their privacy practices in a way that is understandable to users' browsers. Privacy practices are embedded within the Web site and users can rely upon their client to ensure their privacy concerns are respected. "Browsers that use P3P look out for the user," said Tim Berners-Lee, W3C Director and inventor of the World Wide Web. "They can automatically check a Web site's privacy policy, and release information only where it would be acceptable to the user."

Privacy and Commerce

There is a growing concern regarding potential abuses of users' privacy as well as a growing demand for sophisticated content and services on the Web. Users today must grapple with sites that provide little information about privacy practices, repeated requests for the same information, and an extremely coarse control over technology. For example, current implementations of cookies cause privacy concerns (when accepting all cookies), are a hindrance (disabling cookies can cause difficulties at sophisticated sites), or a nuisance (the user must "swat away" numerous dialogue boxes).

Products using P3P will allow users to be informed of site practices, to delegate decisions to their computer when possible, and allow users to tailor their relationship to specific sites. Users will see P3P in action both in the configuration of their client and during their Web browsing. "Our goal with P3P is to create a platform that is advantageous to both privacy and commerce," explained Joseph Reagle, P3P Project Manager. "Many users are willing to provide information, such as what kind of books they like, to a site they are informed about and trust. P3P allows us to move away from non-existent or confusing privacy practices and repetitive forms towards a win-win scenario."

P3P has received a wide range of support. "I welcome this important new tool for privacy protection," said US Vice President Al Gore. "It will empower individuals to maintain control over their personal information while using the World Wide Web."

Interoperable Foundations

Developed by the W3C P3P Syntax, Harmonization, and Protocol Working Groups, which include both W3C Member organizations and invited privacy experts, P3P's descriptive language is aligned with international business practices and privacy guidelines. P3P is based on established W3C specifications, which include HTTP, Extensible Markup Language (XML) and Resource Description Framework (RDF). Future versions will leverage additional W3C technologies such as the Digital Signature Initiative (DSig).

For more information on P3P, see http://www.w3.org/P3P