Press Release

September 9, 2019 – Cloanto released today the “R2” (8.2.2.0) update for Amiga Forever 8 and C64 Forever 8.

The “R2” build is the result of eight months of work since the previous major release, and takes into account user feedback, operating system enhancements and numerous features from our own wish list.

This is a free update for existing version 8 users, who can get the new version through the Help/About dialog in Amiga Forever and C64 Forever. The updated full installation package can also be accessed via the original confirmation email or from the new Help/My Downloads and Keys menu item, and is set to remain available for 10 years after an order.

The new release further delivers an important milestone in the effort to implement better mechanisms for documenting and delivering version changes. Changelog details for available, installed and past versions, including early access builds, are now accessible from the Changelog tab under Help/About, and as part of the software update notifications.

Other new and enhanced features include:

• Gorgeous resizable and reconfigurable virtual keyboards, now also with multi-touch support and a dock option
• Even more advanced game controller configuration and testing features than ever before (under Tools/Options/Input, Help/Developer/Test and in the Input tab of the title editor)
• Improved Disk Toolbox (convert disks to images and vice versa, from the Tools menu) and support for direct-attached disks (to more easily share media between Classic Amiga and emulation systems, via the Media tab of the title editor)
• New general input options (add your own commands like Load last snapshot, Cartridge freeze button, Open debugger, etc.)
• New CD drive controls (e.g. for CDTV) and improved fullscreen mode controls
• Updated WinFellow plugin interface to support 64-bit version and HDF images
• Improvements to AmigaOS 4/PowerPC support (better detection of bootable and non-bootable states, increased number of reserved blocks, etc.)
• Support for some of the latest Windows 10 features introduced in versions 1709, 1809 and 1903
• Continuing best-in-class support for content curation, high-DPI and mixed display environments, real and virtual game controller and keyboard input

The Setup Wizard and Tip of the Day components were also refined, aiming to ease setup and feature discovery. These tutorial functions can also be invoked from the Help menu, and are designed to expose important and lesser-known features to both novice and longtime users.

Overall, the project remains permeated by attention to detail, usability and beauty, which have been part of our Amiga software development work for more than three decades.

As always, we are grateful to everyone who supported this project and to the friends who shared our passion and vision during these sometimes challenging, but always bright Amiga days.

Please stay tuned for more to come. 

Additional Information

• Original Version 8 Announcement
• Focus on New Features
• Quick Instructions for Upgraders
• Cloanto.org – A Discourse on Possible Futures
• Amiga.com – Supporting a New Amiga