Workbench Beta 3.5, version 44.x

Beta phase: May 1998 - October 1999

Shipped with: N/A

Media: Single disc

Major enhancements:

  • Added: Extensive CD-ROM support.
  • Added: HTML online documentation.
  • Added: PowerPC support.
  • Added: Several new APIs.
  • Added: Support for hard disk drives larger than 4 GB.
  • Added: Third-party TCP/IP, web browsing, and built-in e-mail.
  • Fixed: Multiple bugs.
  • Improved: Modern graphical user interface (GUI).
  • Improved: Printer support.

Changes in OS 3.5 from the early beta screenshots to the final screenshots:

  • Early betas did not have a screen title bar.
  • Added the new "EditPad" tool in the Tools drawer.
  • Added a new folder in DEVS: called "Networks".
  • Added a new file called "AmigaOS ROM Update"; presumably a patch file for the 3.1 ROMs.
  • Added three new Prefs editors:
    • ReAction (similar to ClassAct prefs)
    • Workbench
    • CacheCDFS
  • IControl's "Preserve Colors" checkbox (which has been redundant since AGA anyway) has been removed.
  • The earlier beta had some different preferences icons.
  • The earlier beta had DTPrefs etc. which have now disappeared.
  • The new Icon Information window has a GadTools GUI; not a Reaction-based (Workbench 3.5) GUI.
  • An earlier beta, the one previewed in Amiga Format, was lacking dithering/colour quality options in the WBPattern Prefs editor.
  • Screenmode names have changed slightly (eg. instead of "Super-High Res" we now have "SuperHighRes").
  • scsi.device V43.26 is shown on one of the HDToolbox screenshots (should really be using v44).
  • The new HDToolbox appears to be missing the "Verify Drive" and "Modify Bad Block List" options.

Example diskette(s):

Screenshots/pics:

Click here for an early review of 3.5 with lots of screenshots.

Workbench 1Workbench 23.5 Logo
Hidden messages:
Comments/Notes:
  1. Chris Young comments on some statements made by Amiga Format on Beta 3.5 (issue 128, WoA show report): "Application icons can be animated, but not file icons. For instance, the release will include a windowless clock icon that updates anywhere on the screen."
  2. Ross Vumbaca notes that: "Fifty pre-release copies of OS 3.5 were given away at the "Amiga Downunder '99" computer show in Canberra, 21-23 August 1999. The reason for this was that OS 3.5 was supposed to have been officially launched at the show, but was still incomplete, so the pre-release giveaway was an act of good faith by Petro Tyschtschenko. The pre-release I have was specially made for ADU (it has a "Congratulations on winning this pre-release at Amiga Downunder" readme file, and it is a KODAK CD-R. Like the other pre-releases it has no Internet support."