| Hack-Mag: |
Hi dude! Please introduce yourself and tell us your function in your group and list your hardware equipment! |
| Amicom: |
Hi, this is AMICOM. I work for SPREADPOINT as a coder. I joined this group in Spring 1989. Before I had a group, TLB, together with ZODIAC and DEPECHE. I code demos, tools and routines for other members. Since 1991, I also do some organisation. |
| Hack-Mag: |
I have the following equipment in my HQ:
- Amiga 1000 with 1MB Alpatron fast-mem expansion, B/W video monitor
- ParNet
- Amiga 3000UX with 4MB fastmem, 1MB chipmem, 195MB CDC-Swift HD, 210MB Conner HD
- Syquest 44MB removable HD drive
- CBM 1950 monitor
- Telebit Trailblazer T2500+
... and at home (my father's)
- Amiga 2000/2620 with 2MB 32bit fastmem, 1MB chipmem, 160MB GVP/Quantum HD
- CBM A2024 monitor |
| Hack-Mag: |
The following question is obligatory to a coder. Which assembler do you use? |
| Amicom: |
I use 90% Masterseka. After a long waiting time, I finally found an usable 68030 Assembler: the Macro68. But I just got my (original!) copy some weeks ago. For all non-Seka stuff (include files or sections) I use ArgASM. |
| Hack-Mag: |
Do you think the assembler language has a future in the business soft-ware market? |
| Amicom: |
It does not and did never have any importance for business applications. |
| Hack-Mag: |
What do you think about BASIC? Could you imagine writing an action game in BASIC if your computer would be fast enough? |
| Amicom: |
I used to be a BASIC ethusiast, long time ago. Today, I would accept only very advanced BASIC interpreters that feature procedures and stuff. I can imagine writing games in BASIC on the Archimedes or on an Iris. |
| Hack-Mag: |
Please tell me your age. I'm also interested how long you are in the scene and how long your the proud owner a computer. |
| Amicom: |
I am 22 years old. I started work on the Amiga in September 1987. Before, I had the following computers: Sinclair QL, Sinclair ZX Spectrum, Sinclair ZX81, Texas Instruments TI59. I started programming with the TI59 when I was 12 years old. I remember even simple games I coded. There was also hacking on it! You could read out internal ROMs and call functions not normally accessible. With the ZX-81, I discovered BASIC as my first symbolic programming language. Of course, I was delighted. It was so much more flexible than the TI. While working with it, I discovered the basic problems and topics of every computer freak: speed and memory and storage.
I also became interested in graphics. Therefore, I bought the Spectrum as soon as possible. On it, I coded countless demos in BASIC. They painted figures using the Spectrums Line and Circle functions.
I also started coding in Assembler, using Rodnay Zaks' Z80 book. I never got a real assembler. I compared the Z80 to the 6502 and considered the latter unusable.
I then discovered the Motorola 68000 CPU just before the QL was announced. Before, I was interested in the Zilog Z8000. I felt that the future belonged 16/32bit CPUs. Intel was never a topic for me.
When the Amiga was announced, I was at first in trouble becaused at that time, I hated Commodore because of the '64. I soon discovered that this was my dream machine and my troubles were calmed when I heard that the Amiga was not originally designed by Commodore. I was delighted by the idea of multitasking from the first day although it lasted months before I really discovered how you can profit from it.
On the Amiga, I discovered the scene. For some reason, I had been disliking this kind of society before. I considered their actions illegal and stupid. Today, I have passed through several phases during which I changed my mind com pletely. I now think that the scene is nothing to condamn, although certain actions are indeed illegal, some even condamnable. |
| Hack-Mag: |
In the last few months everything became very silent around Spreadpoint. What's the reason for this? |
| Amicom: |
There are multiple reasons. One is that our formerly very active coder and cracker, MNEMOTRON has been in the Bundeswehr. He is back now, but the scene has changed and he has changed. One other problem is that Mike, one of the founders and very active in former times, has gone 'to business' and is no longer the same, too. I myself am a strange guy and have my own problems, read more later in this interview. DEPECHE, once very active, has some problems too. Officially, he has left SPREADPOINT. He has started several demos quite some time ago. At least one is almost finished. Why he doesn't release them, I don't know. Because the people I listed are something like the motor of SPREADPOINT, the entire group has fallen asleep. Another problem is that a lot of guys have started studies recently. |
| Hack-Mag: |
What's your opionion about D-TECT and the HACK-MAG? Is there anything we should improve? |
| Amicom: |
I find HACK-MAG is the most interesting diskmag. I like your interviews and I like being interviewed by you. This is the best interview I ever answered. I have not looked at other diskmags for some months, but compared to what I have seen then, HACK-MAG is coded very nicely, about the way I describe it in my Coding-Guide.
About D-TECT as a group. I have not seen anything else from you for a long time. But I like you as my contact. |
| Hack-Mag: |
Is there any person you would like to see an interview with? Don't forget to tell us why! Just tell us your dreams and we'll do our best! |
| Amicom: |
All my favourite groups and ofcourse the cool Amiga developpers. Bring us an interview with J. Miner or Carl Sassenrath! |
| Hack-Mag: |
Just guess how many people are reading the HACK-MAG all over the world! |
| Amicom: |
No idea. 10,000? Maybe 100,000? |
| Hack-Mag: |
Do you have a girl-friend? If yes, please tell us her name! If not, please tell us why and please also tell us what she should look like! |
| Amicom: |
I am not very happy to say that currently, I do not have a girlfriend. Without going to far into my personal affairs I can tell you that until not very long ago I was very busy with school and coding and was not really interested in girls. That has changed. Currently I am in the Swiss army and I can tell you that it is real shit not to have a girlfriend while staying here. |
| Hack-Mag: |
How long was your longest non-stop computer-session and where was it? |
| Amicom: |
I remember two night sessions: The first was in the days when I was learning the Amiga. It was in November 1987 and I was writing my very first intro. It was intended for the Amegas Gigatrainer I did togehter with DEPECHE for our Group THE LIVING BOX. I started coding in the evening, after I came home from school. At that time, I had never seen a mouse routine and did not know how to check the right mouse button. Next morning, just before I had to leave, everything was finished, even the low-level disk access routine.
The other night session was our SPREADPOINT meeting recently in Zurich. In that night, beside lots of other shit, I finished the lissa intro.
All other night sessions I remember were interruppted to get some sleep. |
| Hack-Mag: |
You're one of the legends in the Amiga Scene. Why are there no productions from you? (If you're doing something at the moment, please tell me something about it!) I'm still waiting for the ATOM demo you were working on together with Depeche! |
| Amicom: |
Ahmmm... yes, you might be right. When I look into my Assembler directory, I can see a lot of directories containing countless files. I always get a strange feeling when I look at them... Lots of demos, even more clever, cool, but as much useless routines, utilities, some finished, others just started... I feel that I will probably never write any commercial product. I can't stand any pressure. Almost every piece of code I ever did was just an exercise. I am always curious: How much can the machine do? How good can I do? What is perfect? What is a smart solution to this problem? Therefore it is no riddle why the only demo I ever finished was the 3D demo. I wrote it when this was still an exercise to me. Today it would be so simple that I would get bored after a short time.
Lets speak about the ATOM demo. I started this demo right after the 3D demo. Initially, it was planned to be the successor of it. Large parts were finished in spring 1989. I showed them at the Piranhas copyparty. One of many reasons why it was never released is that I set the goal too high. I intended to include a monitor similar to the MONSTER monitor of the 3D demo, but much more advanced. Since I already owned an A2620 board, I wanted to build a dynamic CPU load mechanism that pulls every machine to its limit. The performance was to be shown not only in load % but also relative to other CPU's. Also, I started to build lowlevel routines for pop-up menus. These were intended for operating the monitor. Because I always did several projects at the same time, I suddenly felt that this was exceeding my time and power.
BTW: Noone else was ever involved in the ATOM demo. The only demo I did together with DEPECHE was the SMALL demo. There, it was DEPECHEs idea that produces these nice figures. The other demos, WOOOW and POWER are coded by DEPECHE using only routines, knowledge and hints from my part. DEPECHE, like ZODIAC worked very closely togehter with me. I introduced them both into 3D stuff. Both however are coders of exceptional power and gave me lots of ideas and hints.
Currently, I've no time for coding. As soon as I come back from this army nonsense I will continue some tools. I am working at MMU tools, debug tools and theres also APerf, the Amiga Performance meter. Besides, I continue some old demos 'in my spare time'. The ATOM demo will appear some day and so will others I have never mentioned, like the Archimedic Polyhedra. A new hobby is repairing old demos and programs. Using the hyperingenious ReSource (another of these programs one MUST buy the original) this is no sorcery. But I also steal new libraries and devices from Kick 2.x to improve my personal 1.3. |
| Hack-Mag: |
Please tell me what Depeche and Buddha are doing at the moment. |
| Amicom: |
Buddha has started a demo (hear, hear...) that might be ready at Ce-BIT. It is something entirely new, a very cool idea and heavy code, too! Although it is primarily designed for power workstations, it also runs on the cheapest A500. He also works on some other projects: We intend to restart the Power Utility idea from the beginning, using a bit less hack and more care for user-friendlyness.
Another project we are working on is a new ibm-emulator. We both hate the fact that this machine cannot yet be emulated in software except with 'Transformer' which doesn't run on advanced machines and has no GFX and harddisk support. We are quite far and hope to be able to come up with a version that includes GFX, HD support and runs on a Screen as AmigaDOS task.
What DEPECHE is currently doing I cannot tell. For about one year, he is not the one he used to be any more. He has become a solitary. I cannot speak to him. Rumours say that he bought an ibm-shitpc. The last thing he did was a very nice filled 3D vectorscrolltext with clipped borders. As far as I know, he never released it. I am very sad that I lost one of my best friends, but I still hope he will return some day. |
| Hack-Mag: |
If you would have three wishes free. What would you wish? |
| Amicom: |
| 1. |
That Commodore had always had better managers. It is a tragedy what has become of the Amiga that was once the absolute champion. |
| 2. |
That people would buy more software, eliminating the need for stupid copy protections. This would improve the quality of many Amiga programs and attract more people and companies to work for the Amiga. |
| 3. |
That the scene would become the way it used to be: Freaks working together for the community and the prosperity of the Amiga. |
|
| Hack-Mag: |
Please tell me the features of your dream computer! |
| Amicom: |
I would appreciate a Silicon Graphics Power Iris. (Who gives me $500,000?) My dream machine would look very much like an Amiga 4000 or 5000. The things I miss on the Amiga are:
Hardware: More DMA bandwidth, Hardware fill, Z-buffer, more bitplanes, 16bit Audio
Software: Memory protection/virtual memory and user privilege.
My wishes concerning hardware could be accomplished by a new chipset. With a better management, Commodore could have such a chipset now, and still deliver the most powerful low-cost graphics workstation. The software part is more of a problem, I think it is almost impossible to implement t hese features into Amiga-DOS. |
| Hack-Mag: |
What do you think is more important: more colors OR a better resolution? And better soundquality OR more channels? |
| Amicom: |
It is important to get more bitplanes with more speed. The best resolution we have at the moment, 640x400 without overscan, is enough for a lot of applications. However, this resolution has the disadvantages 1. very slow because full DMA contention and 2. smeared moves because de-interlaced. So what we need most is a modus that gives us the same resolution but without interlace / DMA contention and maybe also with more bitplanes.
We need of course both 16bit Audio and more channels although the Amiga could have conquered a very special market if it had had 16bit audio 2 years ago, no matter wheter four or more channels. |
| Hack-Mag: |
What was the craziest routine you ever programmed? |
| Amicom: |
Again one of your tricky questions.. not easy to answer! I have several things in mind: One is ofcourse debug routines. Every programmer knows this situation: while you develop something rather simple, you suddenly get very, very strange crash problems. You look through your code and you say to yourself: This time, there can be no doubt! It must be some ill temper of the machine! But ofcourse, from the countless experiences you have made before, you know exactly that it is something you are not expecting at the moment and therefore you are not looking for it in the right place. That is when I start using ultra crazy routines. |
| Hack-Mag: |
How many lines has your longest source-code and guess how many lines of code you've ever written in your life and please also guess how many hours this has taken? |
| Amicom: |
I have some 20 or so megabytes of assembler source code. The longest piece of pure code might be the 3D demo PLATINUM edition, about 140kB and 5500 lines. Ofcourse there are joined projects that reach lengths of several 100kB. I guess that I've spent more than 1000 hours with the Amiga, maybe more, no way less. I cannot tell how much of that time has been spent coding. |
| Hack-Mag: |
What is your opinion about freezer modules? Did you ever use one or are you one of those persons who are too proud to use them? |
| Amicom: |
I am not too proud to use them. If they would allow me to do anything interesting, I would use them. Until now, I have managed to 'freeze' every program I liked, without using modules. I use the features of the 68851 instead. I think from what I have heard about freezer modules on the Amiga and the '64 that these destroy the scene. That is ofcourse something very sad. Real insiders say that quality of cracks has since then become worse every day. |
| Hack-Mag: |
Please tell me your favourite... |
| Amicom: |
| Contact: |
Luke of BRAINSTORM. |
| Demo: |
There is no single favourite demo. My current favourite demo is the PARADOX 'Atom' (I called it so) demo. There are several groups that have brought us demos of exceptional quality and artwork. |
| Magazine: |
There are no good Amiga magazines. Amiga World is one of the better ones. |
| Coder: |
SCA is the best I know. |
| GFX: |
No idea. Maybe Orlando Peterman is one of the best. |
| Musician: |
Rob Hubbard/Martin Galway, RSI, Starbuck, J.K of PARADOX, Uncle Tom, DOC |
| Article writer: |
I do not know article writers. |
| Music group: |
Billy Idol, Dire Straits, Kraftwerk and many others. |
|
| Hack-Mag: |
What was your favourite copyparty or meeting? |
| Amicom: |
The best meeting I ever attended was the SSI 'copyparty' in Switzerland 1988. I mean best, because this was the meeting with the best people. This was in fact the only time I met a lot of elite coders. There was Magician 42/Sodan, HQC, The Light Circle, Red Sector, Rick Ross of DISCOVERY, SCA, Buddha, ZODIAC, me...
The coolest meeting concerning organisation and presentation/high-lights was the ALCATRAZ Pentcost megaparty. |
| Hack-Mag: |
What was the longest distance you did ever drive to a copy-party and which party was it? Please tell us something about it! |
| Amicom: |
I was foolish enough to go to Holland for a copy party. I think it was an Alpha Flight party. It was not bad, but the way was much too long for that party. It took me more than 12 hours to go there by train. At least, I met some SPREADPOINT members I have never seen before and after the party. I met also a very cool guy called Ypsillon. Unfortunately, he was very suspicious and refused to give me his address. Many people have still not realized that in Switzerland, there is absolutely no danger for crackers. |
| Hack-Mag: |
What do you think... Which Program, Person and Group is the most underestimated? |
| Amicom: |
I would rather say who is most overestimated (because there are so many..)
But ok, who is underestimated? Hmm, I think that the world does not appreciate the developpers of the Amiga.
Maybe the worst case of an underestimated program is AmigaDOS itself. I consider AmigaDOS the most powerful PC-operating system. Neither MACos, nor OSdiv2 or Windows is as powerful and flexible.
I can say no name of an underestimated group. Yet I am sure there are many. The scene has always been hard. I remember the days when I had finished my 3D demo. I knew nobody. I did not know what to do to spread it. I am sure there are many unknown good coders and artworkers out there. |
| Hack-Mag: |
Which program is missing in the Amiga software pool? Or which kind of software should be improved? |
| Amicom: |
Once upon a time, you could say that there were no good word processors for the Amiga. But today, I think there is a good program for most applications on the Amiga. I hope that all companies stay on the Amiga and bring us new products and improved updates of their current releases. |
| Hack-Mag: |
What do you think about the Amiga System? |
| Amicom: |
The choice for every young person who wants a personal computer that is not intended for office-only use. The most flexible and multi-purposed system. |
| Hack-Mag: |
Now I give you the possiblity to speak out some words to the whole Amiga scene. I hope you'll use it... |
| Amicom: |
Dear freaks, coders and spreaders out there. If you love the Amiga, then you must save it. Currently, the Amiga stands at a crossroad. It may stay alive, but it may as well perish. It is also your responsibility to save the Amiga from death.
This is what you can do:
* Stay on the Amiga. I know a few very good coders and some other guys that went to the Archimedes (a nice machine with a not so nice OS) or to the ipm-shit. Most of them either curse their machines or have stopped computing completely. Most important is that GOOD CODERS: MAKE MONEY WITH THE AMIGA! IT IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE! I know that the temptation is big. But the Amiga needs you, the PC needs a tomb.
* Buy Software. Some Amiga software companies (like Aegis, Gold Disk, Cygnus Soft and others) have brought us very very good stuff. They are unable to continue their work IF YOU DO NOT SUPPORT THEM. I advise you to buy THE PROGRAMS YOU USE FREQUENTLY. I know it is impossible to buy every program. I have software worth many thousand $ on my disks. But I bought some exceptional programs like CygnusEd, DPaint, Diskmaster, Quarterback, Excellence, some Assemblers and Compilers and more. This does NOT MEAN YOU SHALL NOT SPREAD SOFTWARE On the contrary, I am convinced that spreading software attracts more people to buy Amigas.
* Coders: Let quality be your guide line. Yes, I know some of you hate C and calling OS routines. But even with Assembler and some few OS functions, one can do high quality software. The many hardware configurations and the soon comming AmigaDOS 2.0 DEMAND a high level of code quality. Hacky programs will very probably refuse to work. YET IT IS NOT SO DIFFICULT to write proper code. Read some hints in my coding guide. |
| Hack-Mag: |
Do you think it is dangerous for ones health to sit in front of a computer about 4 hours each day? |
| Amicom: |
No. As long as you dont torture your brain with mess-dos, theres no danger. However, certain monitors are said to have high radiation levels. Use only SSI Multisyncs or B/W monitors. |
| Hack-Mag: |
How much time do YOU spend daily in front of your computer? |
| Amicom: |
I used to spend about 4 hours a day, sometimes even more. Today it's less than 1 hour. |
| Hack-Mag: |
Did you like this little interview? What do you think about it? Did you like the questions of were they too boring? |
| Amicom: |
As I said earlier, I greatly enjoyed this interview. The best I ever had. |
| Hack-Mag: |
Thanx! And thanx for the interview and the good and long answers, too. Hope to meet you soon! |
| Amicom: |
It's been a pleasure. C u at CeBIT or Ami Expo. |