Amiga Arena Interview
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  Developer: Jürgen Reinert
  Software:  TTime Deluxe,Dragon Tools
  Homepage:  home.t-online.de/home/ac-techno/
  Mail:      ac-techno@t-online.de

  Translation by Kai Stegemann

  
 *Would you please introduce yourself to our readers?
 My name is Jürgen Reinert. In 2001 I became 40 years old.
 I am living outside of the cities and I am working for the Telecom.
 My knowledge about computers was gained by reading or watching others while they were coding.

 *When did you start working with the Amiga?
 Some time ago in 1988. It was definetly an Amiga 1000.

 *Which Amiga model do you own?
 An Amiga 4000/040 in the livingroom and an Amiga 2000/030. Both are connected with each other.

 *What version of the OS is running on your Computer?
 The big one runs 3.9 the small one just the plain 3.1.

 *What kind of Software are you developing?
 Mainly small helpers that are not really necessary in everyday-life.
 A special programme is an tool to coordinate and measure soapbox-races.
 The actual one is "TTime-Deluxe" and "DragonTools".
 Especially fun makes working on "TechnoIO" an a weatherstation under C-Control.

 *Can you tell us what your Software is about?
 "TTime" should in 1996 be just a telephone-timer, that helps controlling the costs of telephone and BTX.
 The project grew rapidly and became - with all the providers today -
 very oldaged so I have some difficulties in keeping it up todate.
 With "DragonTools" the analogue ports of the databoxes "Speeddragon", "Power Dragon" and "Surf M.A.X."
 could be configured. There is a very nice guide for this ("DragonDaemon").

 *What awakened the idea in you to continue developing your software?
 The fact that there was a lack of Software I wanted to use with my Amiga.

 *How long took the development?
 It is not expressable in hours.
 "TTime" exists since Janury 1996 and was kept uptodate very often and constantly.
 "DragonTools" are developed since 1998. Because of a lack of time there was not that much effort the last 1.5 years.

 *What Software do you use?

 For programming mainly BlitzBasic for the programme and StormWizard for the GUI.
 Sometimes also MaxonASM for timedepending parts. As a User I use everything I can affort except games.

 *For what system are you developing (AmigaOS,AmigaDE,MorphOS)?
 With BlitzBasic I am limited to AmigaOS.

 *What OS will you support in the future?
 A change will be difficult. As long as nothing earthshaking happens I will stay at AmigaOS.

 * What can we expect from future versions?
 "TTime-Deluxe" could be limited to log  the online time, the different payrates are  just to complex,
 while "DragonTools" could be optimised a little bit,
 but as the hardware is not developed anymore the software needs no updates as well.

 *Don't you lose your fun in developing concerning the fact that there is not that much feedback in the small Amiga market?
 That is the reason why I not start something I need for myself.
 "TTime-Deluxe" became Freeware due to that fact, the same could happen to my other tools.

 *Do you gain enough feedback?
 As my software is very special I wonder about that much feedback.
 More would become work and not fun. And that should not be.

 *When used you your Amiga at last?
 Just now to answer the questions. :-)

 *Which Software bought you last time?
 I think that was AmigaOS 3.9.

 *Which Software are you using still today?
 MIAMI, IBrowse, YAM, TurboCalc, Final Writer, Final Data, MultiTerm,
 GoldED, BlitzBASIC, StormWizard, Opus5 and other small tools.

 *What Hard-/Software are you planning to buy next?
 In the near future nothing. Nothing for Amiga.

 *Do you believe in a comeback of Amiga?
 Not really but I hope so!

 *Your last words to the readers?
 Keep your Amigas alive. On my mind , as small "hacker" the Amiga is one of the last good computers,
 that is able to control cheap hardwareinterfaces.
 At the time of the good old C64 it was, as if all users were able and wanted to use the computer
 to do something with the hardware and not play some games and leave it like that.
 Maybe tommorow the industry will deliver a computer that is not capable of RS232 and Centronics.
 So far... Ciao.

 © Amiga Arena 1/2002