(·· AMIGA · ARENA ··) .-------------------------------. | I · N · T · E · V · I · E · W | `-------------------------------' ø========================================ø | | | <« Developer: Gareth Griffiths | | | | <« Software: MP3-2-HTML | | | | <« Homepage: http://www.gazchap.com | | | | <« Email: | | | `========================================' *Please introduce yourself to the readers!* Hi, my name is Gareth Griffiths, also known as GazChap. I'm an 18 year old lad from the United Kingdom, and I'm a bit of a computer obsessive :) *When did you start working with the Amiga?* I first got an Amiga in 1994. Its kinda the same one as I've got today, but I've been swapping the motherboard and all sorts of bits about to improve it over the years. I've been programming on the Amiga since 1995, when I discovered AMOS. I've moved away from AMOS now though! *Which Amiga model do you own* I've got a Commodore A1200, which I've since put into a tower. I've upgraded it a helluva lot over the years, and its now powered by an '060/50MHz, with 64MB RAM, and a Mediator/Voodoo3 combination. *Which version of the operating system is running on your computer?* OS3.9, I like to stay up to date :) *Which software are you developing?* I'm currently developing two things on the Amiga, MP3-2-HTML and Shoot Out. I'm also writing software for the PC, including (eventually) a Windows version of MP3-2-HTML. *Can you tell us what your software is about?* Well, MP3-2-HTML is a tool for music enthusiasts, really. What it does is takes all of the ID3 information from your MP3 collection and makes a HTML listing of all of them! Great for showing off to your friends about your MP3 collection :) Shoot Out is an updated version of a game of mine of the same name. A PC version is being developed at the same time as the Amiga version, and its basically a cat-and-mouse kinda game where you have to blow up your opponent's ship whilst trying to avoid his shots yourself! *What has created the idea in you to continue developing your software?* I've only continued the development of MP3-2-HTML because of the feedback I've received from those who use it. I've been fed a lot of good ideas by the users of the program, some of which have made it into recent versions. Some of the other ideas probably never will make it (I had somebody suggest that I made a fully featured MP3 player out of the program, but that would go against the idea of the program) and some of the other ideas will end up implemented in future versions! *How long has the development taken so far?* MP3-2-HTML has been in development for over a year and a half now, although there was a long gap in between for me to concentrate on my studies, and my personal life! *Which software are you using for developing?* Blitz Basic 2.1 from ACID Software, as well as AmiBlitz2, the updated version of Blitz Basic by Bernd Roesch. *For which system (AmigaOS, AmigaDE, MorphOS) are you developing?* I've not looked at the AmigaDE or MorphOS yet (although I do have the AmigaDE Player software that Amiga, Inc. put out a while back. It looks good) so I'm just developing for straight AmigaOS. *Which OS will you support in the future?* Money is tight, so its unlikely that I'll ever be able to afford an AmigaDE environment, or a PPC to open up MorphOS. So, for the foreseeable future at least, its gonna just be the Amiga and the Windows platform. *What can we expect of future versions?* Future versions of MP3-2-HTML will have support for multiple directory roots, extensive playlist exportation plugins, and lots of other cool things that I'm yet to investigate. *Don't you lose the fun and the interest in programming if you see the small amount of feedback you get from the small Amiga market?* Bizarrely, no. I do still lose the fun and interest in programming, but that isn't anything to do with the state of the Amiga market, I've always been like that. There was a year-long gap between version 2.93 and version 2.96 of MP3-2-HTML because I couldn't find the motivation to carry on. Somehow I managed it though :) *Do you receive enough feedback for your software?* Not really :( I know there are over 100 people using MP3-2-HTML, but only a small portion of those have actually contacted me with feedback. So if any of you out there reading this use MP3-2-HTML and haven't e-mailed me yet, please do so! It only helps to make future versions better, and it only takes a few minutes of your time! *When did you last use your Amiga?* Yesterday, I was testing a new design for my website in Voyager 3. *Which software did you last buy for your Amiga?* OS3.9, as I said above, money is tight so I don't get to buy too much stuff. *Which software do you still use?* Ooh, lots. Directory Opus Magellan 2 is something I couldn't do without, as is Blitz Basic 2 (and the new updated version of it called AmiBlitz2, available on Aminet) and Personal Paint is also something I use quite a lot as well. *Which hard/software are you planning to buy?* I'm dying to get a TV tuner card for my Mediator so that I can play older games in a window on my Workbench :) I also should get the Mediator Multimedia CD so that I have the drivers for it! *Do you believe in a comeback of Amiga?* To be honest, I did, but now the belief is fading. It'd be great if Amiga made a huge comeback, but unless something happens soon, I can't see it happening. The PC market is competitive enough as it is, and Amiga have got their work cut out to get a viable product on to the market and actually get the sales. To be fair, I didn't even expect them to get as far as they have, so who knows? *Your final words for the readers?* If you haven't already, go and download MP3-2-HTML from http://mp32html.gazchap.com It does everything you could possibly want - it even makes your tea! :) .... __ -- © Amiga Arena 02/2002 -- __ .... aMIGA aRENA - fEEL tHE fIRE!