RISCOS Ltd.

Last updated
RISCOS Ltd.
Company type Private
Industry Computer software
FoundedJanuary 7, 1999;25 years ago (1999-01-07), in Cardiff, UK
FounderPaul Middleton
DefunctMay 14, 2013 (2013-05-14)
FateDissolved
Headquarters
Cardiff
,
UK
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Paul Middleton (CEO)
Products RISC OS 4, RISC OS 6
Services IT consulting
Website riscos.com (before 2013-03-04)

RISCOS Ltd. (also referred to as ROL) was a limited company engaged in computer software and IT consulting. It licensed the rights to continue the development of RISC OS 4 and to distribute it for desktop machines (as an upgrade or for new machines) from Element 14 [1] [2] and subsequently Pace Micro Technology. [3] Company founders include developers who formerly worked within Acorn's dealership network. It was established as a nonprofit company. [3] On or before 4 March 2013 3QD Developments acquired RISCOS Ltd's flavour of RISC OS. [4] [5] RISCOS Ltd was dissolved on 14 May 2013. [6]

Contents

History

RISCOS Ltd was formed to continue end-user-focused development of RISC OS after the de-listing of Acorn Computers, following its purchase by Morgan Stanley Dean Witter in order to benefit from the shareholding that Acorn held in ARM Ltd. In March 1999, RISCOS Ltd obtained exclusive rights to develop and sell RISC OS 4 for the desktop market from Element 14. A few weeks later Pace purchased Acorn's Cambridge headquarters and staff for £200,000 and then continued to develop its own, in-house version of RISC OS, primarily for set-top boxes and other embedded devices.

At the time of the company's formation, it was noted that having access to the source code could facilitate removal of the OS's dependence on Acorn's proprietary chips. This simplifies entry to the hardware market by new companies. [7]

On 29 January and 14 May 2013 RISCOS Ltd was listed in the London Gazette: on 14 May 2013 it was struck from the register of companies and dissolved. [8] The rights to all versions of RISC OS previously developed and marketed by RISCOS Ltd were purchased by 3QD Developments Ltd, the maker of VirtualAcorn. [9]

Products

RISC OS 4

RISC OS 4 logo.png

RISCOS Ltd completed work on RISC OS 4 and in July 1999 it was released as an upgrade for existing machines, priced at £120. [10] Improvements include support for long filenames, larger disk sizes and partitions, along with a new desktop look. [10]

Work then continued on a system of soft-loaded updated versions of the OS, released under an annual subscription release scheme named RISC OS Select in 2002.

RISC OS 4.02 ROMs RISC OS 4.02 ROMs.jpg
RISC OS 4.02 ROMs

In 2004, the company replaced its baseline RISC OS 4.02 product with an updated version of the OS named RISC OS Adjust. This version of RISC OS was based on version 4.39, or Select Edition 3 Issue 4, of the company's Select scheme. In the same year, RISCOS Ltd agreed to produce a fully 32-bit-compatible version of RISC OS Adjust for Advantage Six's A9home product. The A9home was released in May 2006 after a 12-month beta-testing process, although the build of Adjust 32, namely RISC OS 4.42, is not feature-complete.

RISC OS Six

In October 2006, a beta-version of RISC OS Six was made available for download by subscribers to the Select scheme. [11] RISC OS Six represents the next generation of RISCOS Ltd's stream of the operating system. Significant portability, stability and internal structure improvements, including full 26/32-bit neutrality, have laid the foundations for the company's future releases, all of which will be based on version 6. The first product to be based on RISC OS Six will be Select Edition 4. RISC OS Six is 32-bit-neutral and can be built to run in either 26-bit or 32-bit modes. It runs on the Risc PC and A9home, but it doesn't run on newer-generation hardware such as the Iyonix PC and ARMini, which do not support the 26-bit addressing used on the older Acorn computers and require specific hardware support for the newer ARMv5 and ARMv7 architecture chips that they use.

Licensed emulation

In 2003, the company reached an agreement with VirtualAcorn to license its OS for use with emulators. [12]

Potential ports

In 1999, the company announced plans to port the OS to machines such as the Jornada sub-notebook. [13] A number of planned ports did not come to fruition.[ citation needed ]

Licence dispute

In November 2002 Castle Technology Ltd released a modified version of Pace's 32-bit RISC OS as RISC OS 5 for their Iyonix PC, in apparent contravention of the licence agreement that RISCOS Ltd held with Element 14. In July 2003, Castle bought all technology rights to RISC OS from Pace in an attempt to legalise the situation. In January 2004, Castle also took over Tematic Ltd., the company formed by ex-Pace engineers when they were made redundant in March 2003. The result was a long-running and acrimonious dispute between RISCOS Ltd and Castle over licensing, which ultimately led to Castle claiming to terminate RISCOS Ltd's licence to develop, sell and sub-license RISC OS 4. RISCOS Ltd refuted all the claims made and challenged Castle to identify how and from whom they had acquired RISC OS 5. [14] An end to the dispute was signalled when RISCOS Ltd and Castle agreed to work on attempting to merge their development streams and re-unify RISC OS, with Castle's engineers working on key system functionality and RISCOS Ltd on user-facing elements. [15] One of the conditions was that RISCOS Ltd agreed to be renamed RISC OS Developments Ltd. ROL and Castle subsequently agreed to merge RISC OS 4 and RISC OS 5 together, [16] this merge nor the name change did happen before the dissolution of RISCOS Ltd.

RISCOS Ltd considered taking legal action in 2008 to prevent RISC OS Open from releasing a RiscPC compatible ROM image. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acorn Computers</span> British computer manufacturer

Acorn Computers Ltd. was a British computer company established in Cambridge, England in 1978 by Hermann Hauser, Chris Curry and Andy Hopper. The company produced a number of computers during the 1980s with associated software that were highly popular in the domestic market, and they have been historically influential in the development of computer technology like processors.

ARM is a family of RISC instruction set architectures (ISAs) for computer processors. Arm Ltd. develops the ISAs and licenses them to other companies, who build the physical devices that use the instruction set. It also designs and licenses cores that implement these ISAs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Risc PC</span>

Risc PC was a range of personal computers launched in 1994 by Acorn and replaced the preceding Archimedes series. The machines had a unique architecture unrelated to IBM PC clones and were notable for using the Acorn developed ARM CPU which is now widely used in mobile devices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RISC OS</span> Computer operating system by Acorn Computers Ltd.

RISC OS is a computer operating system originally designed by Acorn Computers Ltd in Cambridge, England. First released in 1987, it was designed to run on the ARM chipset, which Acorn had designed concurrently for use in its new line of Archimedes personal computers. RISC OS takes its name from the reduced instruction set computer (RISC) architecture it supports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iyonix PC</span> Acorn-clone personal computer

The Iyonix PC was an Acorn-clone personal computer sold by Castle Technology and Iyonix Ltd between 2002 and 2008. According to news site Slashdot, it was the first personal computer to use Intel's XScale processor. It ran RISC OS 5.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phoebe (computer)</span> Proposed computer by Acorn, cancelled 1998

The Phoebe 2100 was to be Acorn Computers' successor to the RiscPC, slated for release in late 1998. However, in September 1998, Acorn cancelled the project as part of a restructuring of the company.

Xara is an international software company founded in 1981, with an HQ in Berlin and development office in Hemel Hempstead, UK. It has developed software for a variety of computer platforms, in chronological order: the Acorn Atom, BBC Micro, Z88, Atari ST, Acorn Archimedes, Microsoft Windows, Linux, and more recently web browser-based services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Castle Technology</span> Computer company based in Cambridge, England

Castle Technology Limited, named after Framlingham Castle, was a British computer company based in Cambridge, England. It began as a producer of ARM computers and manufactured the Acorn-branded range of desktop computers that run RISC OS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A9home</span>

The A9home was a niche small-form-factor desktop computer running RISC OS Adjust32. It was officially unveiled at the 2005 Wakefield Show, and is the second commercial ARM-based RISC OS computer to run a 32-bit version of RISC OS. When the Iyonix PC was withdrawn from sale, the A9home remained the only hardware to be manufactured specifically for the RISC OS marketplace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acorn Computers (2006)</span> British company founded in 2006 unrelated to ARM

Acorn Computers Ltd was a British computer company based in Nottingham, England in the United Kingdom between 2006 and 2009. It licensed, in early 2006, the dormant Acorn Computers trademark from French company Aristide & Co Antiquaire De Marques. This company sold IBM PC compatible computers and had no connection to ARM, a spin-off from the original Acorn Computers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acorn A7000</span>

The A7000 and A7000+ were Acorn Computers' entry level computers based somewhat on the Risc PC architecture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RISC OS Open</span> Software company

RISC OS Open Ltd. is a limited company engaged in computer software and IT consulting. It is managing the process of publishing the source code to RISC OS. Company founders include staff who formerly worked for Pace, the company which acquired RISC OS after Acorn's demise.

<i>Drobe</i> Computing news web site with a focus on the RISC OS operating system

Drobe was a computing news web site with a focus on the RISC OS operating system. Its archived material was retained online, curated by editor Chris Williams until late 2020.

NCOS is the graphical user interface-based operating system developed for use in Oracle Corporation's Network Computers, which are discontinued. It was adapted by Acorn Computers from its own RISC OS, which was originally developed for their range of Archimedes desktop computers. It shares with RISC OS the same 4 MB ROM size and suitability for use with TV displays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acorn C/C++</span> C compiler for RISC OS

Acorn C/C++ is a set of C/C++ programming tools for use under the RISC OS operating system. The tools use the Norcroft compiler suite and were authored by Codemist and Acorn Computers. The tools provide some facilities offered by a fully integrated development environment.

RISC OS, the computer operating system developed by Acorn Computers for their ARM-based Acorn Archimedes range, was originally released in 1987 as Arthur 0.20, and soon followed by Arthur 0.30, and Arthur 1.20. The next version, Arthur 2, became RISC OS 2 and was completed and made available in April 1989. RISC OS 3 was released with the very earliest version of the A5000 in 1991 and contained a series of new features. By 1996 RISC OS had been shipped on over 500,000 systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VirtualAcorn</span>

VirtualAcorn is the brand name of several commercial emulators of Acorn Computers computer hardware platforms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aemulor</span>

In computing, Aemulor is an emulator of the earlier 26-bit addressing-mode ARM microprocessors. It runs on ARM processors under 32-bit addressing-mode versions of RISC OS. It was written by Adrian Lees and released in 2003. An enhanced version is available under the name Aemulor Pro.

Impression is a desktop publishing application for RISC OS systems. It was developed by Computer Concepts and initially made available in pre-release form during 1989, having been demonstrated in February 1989 at the Which? Computer Show and subsequently announced as being available from June 1989. The "completed" version was eventually delivered on 18th January 1990.

Oregano is a commercial web browser for RISC OS computers. Oregano is a derivative of a browser developed by Oregan Networks Ltd under the name Oregan Media Browser for consumer electronics devices, games consoles and IP Set Top Boxes.

References

  1. ↑ Magee, Mike (1999-03-06). "RISCOS to continue OS 4 development". The Register. The Register . Retrieved 2011-05-09. According to RISCOS Limited, it has gained an exclusive licence from Element 14, formerly Acorn [...]
  2. ↑ "Chris's Acorns" . Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  3. 1 2 Clark, Etelka (July 1, 1999). "Acorn dies but legacy lives on". Personal Computer World . Archived from the original on April 20, 2013. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
  4. ↑ Duffell, Andrew (2013-03-07). "3QD Developments acquire RISC OS from RISCOS Ltd" . Retrieved 2013-03-25.
  5. ↑ "Contact Details - 4/3/2013 onwards" . Retrieved 2013-03-06.
  6. ↑ "FIRST GAZETTE NOTICES". London Gazette . 14 May 2013.
  7. ↑ Schofield, Jack (March 11, 1999). "Computerwatch". The Guardian . Retrieved February 27, 2012. Riscos Ltd has been formed to complete the development of Acorn's Risc OS 4 operating system [...] Paul Middleton, Riscos's managing director, reckons that, with access to the source code, it should be possible to remove the operating system's dependence on proprietary chips such as the IOMD and VIDC input/output and video chips in Acorn computers. This would make it easier for new companies to enter the hardware market.
  8. ↑ "FIRST GAZETTE NOTICES". London Gazette . 29 January 2013.
  9. ↑ "3QD Developments Ltd purchase rights from RISCOS Ltd". 7 March 2013.
  10. 1 2 Clark, Etelka (August 24, 1999). "RISC OS outlives Acorn". Personal Computer World . Retrieved April 10, 2012.
  11. ↑ Proven, Liam (2006-10-20). "RISC OS six appears, only a couple of years late". The Inquirer. The Inquirer. Archived from the original on November 6, 2009. Retrieved 2011-06-02. RISC OS Ltd announced its latest version of the Archimedes and Risc PC operating system: RISC OS Six.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  12. ↑ Naulls, Peter (2003-09-02). "Virtual Licence". Drobe . Retrieved 2011-06-27. [...] RISCOS Ltd today announced it had reached an agreement with Virtual Acorn regarding licensing of RISC OS 4 for use with Virtual Acorn's emulators.
  13. ↑ "Internet portal launched". Acorn User . No. 215. Christmas 1999. p. 6. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  14. ↑ Smith, Tony (2004-06-17). "RISC OS rights rumble becomes war of words". The Register. The Register . Retrieved 2011-05-09.
  15. ↑ Smith, Tony (2004-07-19). "RISC OS rivals reach rapprochement". The Register. The Register . Retrieved 2011-05-09. However, on Wednesday, 14 July, sub-licensees, RISCOS shareholders, and directors from RISCOS and Castle met to thrash out a peaceful settlement.
  16. ↑ Middleton, Paul; Lillingston, Jack (2004-10-15). "RISCOS Ltd and Castle Technology Ltd announce new co-operative Agreement on future RISC OS Development". Drobe . Retrieved 2011-06-27. The new licence ensures that both RISC OS 4 and RISC OS 5 will be merged together [sic] [...]
  17. ↑ Holwerda, Thom (2008-12-10). "RISCOS Ltd Might Take Legal Action Against RISC OS Open Ltd". OSnews. OSNews . Retrieved 2011-05-09. RISCOS Ltd might take legal action trying to prevent RISC OS Open Ltd from releasing a RiscPC compatible ROM from the RISC OS 5 shared source project.
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