State of RISC OS in 2023

Still smegging 32-bit, erk.. Even bloody phones are 64. What features does RISC OS miss out on here, folks? Realtime raytracing (for building 3D scenes) is just one, never mind the MIPS factor. It’s beyond the pale.

Still smegging 32-bit, erk..

Oh, had to get one in before the new year, didn’t you? Feeling lonely, forgotten about?

Even bloody phones are 64.

Alphabet (Google) net worth, about $1756 billion.
Apple net worth – about twice that.

Can pay a fair few programmer salaries, don’tcha think?

Oh, and just to flog a dead horse here, I’d like to point out that not all builds of Android are 64 bit. There are 32 bit versions for lower-end hardware, specifically the Android Go variant found on cheap tablets and phones. You know, those 1GB or 2GB RAM 16GB Flash Allwinner chip jobbies.

What features does RISC OS miss out on here, folks?

Better USB? Better networking (in progress)? WiFi (in progress)? Using the other three cores? Graphics acceleration? Anything whatsoever to do with Bluetooth?
Oddly enough, adding an extra 32 bits will do exactly mew-all to change that situation. In fact, it’ll probably make it worse due to having two codebases to deal with… unless we’re going to ditch the RiscPC-era machines which is problematic due to that hardware being our only current emulator to use on non-ARM machines.

In short, 64 bit is a thing, yes. However 64 bit is not a magical solution. You popping up every now and again to rub in the “it isn’t 64 bit” point is dumb and unhelpful. Yes, we’re all quite aware of the situation, but, priorities…

Realtime raytracing (for building 3D scenes) is just one

Uh-hu. And how do you plan to do that? Port Blender? Be my guest…

It’s beyond the pale.

So is your incessently waving the 64 bit pompoms as if writing these sorts of messages (which are, frankly, dangerously close to being straight up forum spam) is going to make everybody be like “you know what, we really should drop everything to make a port of this OS to an entirely different processor that we have exactly zero software for because this one guy demands it”.

Just know – this is the last time I’m going to write anything about 64 bit until such time as work actually begins on making it happen (don’t hold your breath). The difficulties have been explained. Short of drawing you pretty diagrams in crayon, all that needs said on this topic has been said, and yet every so often you pop up to say “bloody ‘ell mate, it’s still 32 bit, innit?”.

Yes.

It is.

There’s really nothing more to say.

You want 64 bit that badly, hire a programmer, get it done. Otherwise, kindly, zip it.

Goodbye, and Happy New Year.

What’s the progress on the Norwegian translation for the OS messages?

They probably all say “Dette er søppel fordi det ikke er sekstifire biter”. ;)

Now, to make this topic a little less idiotic, I’d like to raise a pint 🍺 ¹ to RISCOSDev for the work they have done this year.
Bringing us a modern stack, with provision for WiFi support (this year? 🤞), a modern browser, a much more modern looking Pinboard, and a file caching system to ease the pain of slow media ².

Thanks, guys! ❤️

¹ I’m assuming beer, though some in the govt have the idea of wine in pints. Huh? Isn’t the word “pint” synonymous with beer?

² People these days, don’t know that were born. When I were a lad… Block?

@Mr. Murray, does RISC OS and Dinosaurs ring a bell? Well of course it works like a charm in 32-bit land, that’s not the issue. Is it just the money, or the raft of fact that the 64-bit world can bring more blatant assets than the number would suggest through your rose-colored glasses jump-off-bridge? Happy landings.

I’m assuming beer, though some in the govt have the idea of wine in pints. Huh? Isn’t the word “pint” synonymous with beer?

Apparently it was the preferred volume bottle of Champers for Churchill, and was a regular size for wine bottles until the UK joined the EU in 1973
So, although the Tories can’t wind things back to Victorian standards (poor kids up chimneys and down the mines) they can pull us back to the ‘joy’ of the early 70s

SWT is a troll. Let’s not feed it.

Its contributions here have all been negative, and therefore I am considering deleting its postings and its account. I’d be interested to hear the opinions of others.

@Steve Pampling, ever had a Weltenburger Asam Bock? They began brewing beer in 1050, 30 years after The Battle at Stiklestad which peddled that Roman Slave fiction onto us. Never mind -vino vici, beer’o vinchi is the thingy.

Its contributions here have all been negative, and therefore I am considering deleting its postings and its account. I’d be interested to hear the opinions of others.

I would consider SWTs contributions not so much negative, as pointless. Anyway, be reluctant to deleting accounts (or postings).

Edit: double negation removed (wouldn’t).
PS: Don’t write comments after a bottle of wine, especially in a foreign language.

Its contributions here have all been negative, and therefore I am considering deleting its postings and its account. I’d be interested to hear the opinions of others.

Non constructive criticism, pointless comments, constant repetition of concepts without even providing a minimal proof of concept or a way to solve the issues being mentioned… While I strongly believe everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I also think there is no need to constantly repeat it, as mentioned by Paul, in a completely pointless manner just to trigger discussions.

I also agree with Paul that the attitude should always be reluctant towards censorship, but, in the other hand, I also think this user just can’t control himself, so probably it’s time to stop this?

I have frequently been tempted to reply in a manner which would get me banned.

After the…issues…with the troll a couple of years ago, I’d simply walk away before I got into that sort of situation again.
At least this troll is only banging the one drum (endlessly and out of rhythm).

I say this has gone on long enough and it is entirely justified to wield the ban hammer.

The troll is not the problem here. So far there are 15 unhelpful posts in this thread (including this one) only two came from SWT. It seems nobody can resist scratching the itch.

If discussions can be moved, perhaps there could be another forum called “Jötunheimr” where non-productive, non-entertaining threads could be moved, rather than censored?