INFO-ATARI16 Digest         Tue, 14 Nov 89       Volume 89 : Issue 652
 
Today's Topics:
              A list of suggestions to Atari Computers.
           Anti-Atari Bashing Flame (long - sorry) (2 msgs)
          Gadgets by Small - Possible new '030 add-on board!
                               Modula 2
                               ST Mouse
----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Date: 14 Nov 89 20:31:27 GMT
From: phoenix@g.ms.uky.edu  (R'ykandar Korra'ti)
Subject: A list of suggestions to Atari Computers.
 
     This is just a list I felt like putting together of steps Atari could
take, I think reasonably cheaply (at least the higher-priority suggestions),
to win back a lot of friends. Please skip if you're not interested.
 
                 The Atari Suggesion List - V1 and only.
 
     1) Official upgrade paths which do _not_ consist of "buy a new machine."
Even on things like the 520ST. I'm not talking about new graphics modes, but
I _do_ demand things like official RAM upgrade paths.
     2) Customer Support. By this I mean several things: TOS upgrades at cost.
Acknowledgement of bugs in the system, and sincere attempts to repair them.
Improvements in GEM. Things like that.
        Basically, you can get your owner base to advertise for you, if they
believe in the machine and the company. You've had loyalty; reinforce it, and
use it to generate sales.
     3) Dealer Support. The only Atari ST dealer here has no machines
out right now. He's waiting for the STE, and getting annoyed with it. He
used to love the ST. Now he seems to use Amigas for everything. Friends of
mine in Conneticut say they've never even _seen_ an Atari ST dealer.
     4) Hardware Support. Get your third-party developers working again, too.
Get a development machine in as many hands as you can. Yes, it costs, but yes,
it can pay off, if you convince them that you're really interested in your
own machines. Right now, word on the street that _I_ get is that Atari intends
to become a clone manufacturer. That may have nothing to do with reality, but
it _is_ the perception I'm picking up.
     4a) Hardware fixes for the ST and Mega to use multiple resolution modes
on the same monitor. Bi-sync monitors are not _that_ expensive to make, and you
should _not_ have to reboot to change modes. (This is high on my "my, how
goofy" list. This also turns a _lot_ of people off).
     5) Software Support. Fix the operating system, and support developers.
Stop insulting them with photocopies of manuals packaged into old Atari 800
boxes. If they don't programme for your machine, you don't sell machines.
     Take care of all these things first. THEN:
     1) Once you've patched things over with your developers, start nudging
them in the way of new and better applications. Strong-arm them into obeying
the operating system rules (which will lead to a following suggestion)...
     2) Now that you've got a solid system: advertise, advertise, advertise.
The system will now not actively turn people off through its deficiencies, and
you've only got to let them know about it.
     3) SHIP a working high-end machine. It doesn't have to be cheap; it just
has to be there. Even if nobody buys it at first, it should be available so
that people know "there's a future with Atari. They are looking ahead." Also,
don't announce shipping dates unless you _know_ you can meet them. Saying
that you're working on something and that it'll look like X is great; but
do _not_ say it will be in the stores on day M when you're not sure it
will be.
     4) Longer-term plan: multitasking TOS. Even "co-operative" tasking OS
would be alright (if Apple can do it, so can you guys.) It should be possible
to come out with a version of TOS wherein all well-behaved programmes will
run in a co-operative multi-switching environment, and if you've been pushing
people, it won't be your fault that the programme breaks. (Leave a single
tasking mode, of course, for those programmes which DO break. That way, all
bases will be covered, and users can - justifiably - get annoyed at the
software makers.)
     5) Longer-term plan: higher-level graphics standards. Right now, Atari
is not at too bad a level. Count the number of Monochrome Display Adaptors
still running and see if you don't believe me; or, look at the number of 16-
color 640*200 displays Tandy ships to the home users. Despite the press,
most Cloners do _not_ own VGA systems and multisyncs, and Atari's monochrome
resolution is higher than that of any Mac below the II level.
     Anyway; enough of this; it's too long already. I know it's a big
list and would take a lot of money to implement, but it would be nice to see
it happen.
     Please route flames to /dev/null.
                                                - R'ykandar.
--
| R'ykandar Korra'ti, Editor, LOW ORBIT | phoenix@ms.uky.edu | CIS 72406,370 |
| Elfinkind, Unite! | phoenix@ukma.bitnet | PLink: Skywise | QLink: Bearclaw |
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 14 Nov 89 18:04:17 GMT
From:
 cs.utexas.edu!usc!henry.jpl.nasa.gov!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!mahendo!jato!mars!gande
t@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu  (Tom Gandet)
Subject: Anti-Atari Bashing Flame (long - sorry)
 
In article <8911140141.AA02948@NARNIA.SAIC.COM> steveg@SAIC.COM (Stephen Harold
 Goldstein) writes:
>Sorry to waste the bandwidth but, I can't keep quiet anymore.
>I'm sick and tired of all the TT flames and Atari bashing going on.
>It solves nothing and probably only serves to scare away anyone
>thinking about buying an ST.  If you must continue with this practice,
>perhaps we can get a comp.sys.atari.st.bash area going.  So far
>Greg Lindahl has been just about the only voice of reason here, and now
>he gets flamed.  Shheeesh!  (I'm with you Greg!)
 
  I'll second that, Steve.  As a new 1040ST owner, I love the little beast,
  but I came damn close to buying something else because of all the
  anti-Atari flames here.  I couldn't be more satisfied with what it does
  and how it does it.  If I'd wanted an 50MHz '486 with 100 Gb, I'd've
  bought one...  As for gripes about "late" product releases, you finally
  learn that a product ISN'T a product until you can buy it...
 
 
>Not quite what you want?  BUY SOMETHING ELSE!  Buy a Mac or PC and go bitch
>in some other newsgroup!
>
  Right!  New newsgroup votes, anyone?
 
 
 
Tom Gandet                              Telos/Jet Propulsion Lab - NASA
gandet@mars.jpl.nasa.gov                Work: (818) 351-2341 x239
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 14 Nov 89 18:32:54 GMT
From: ncrlnk!ncrcam!system!mike@uunet.uu.net  (mike reiss)
Subject: Anti-Atari Bashing Flame (long - sorry)
 
In article <8911140141.AA02948@NARNIA.SAIC.COM> steveg@SAIC.COM (Stephen Harold
 Goldstein) writes:
        .
        .
        .
>I'm sick and tired of all the TT flames and Atari bashing going on.
        .
        .
        .
>Greg Lindahl has been just about the only voice of reason here, and now
>he gets flamed.  Shheeesh!  (I'm with you Greg!)
 
Finally, a message that isn't a flame !!!  Isn't this heat getting old
already.  If you not happy with Atari, why tell us.  We've been there.
Go tell someone who wants to hear it.  Me ??? I want some information about
the Atari ST computer.  Not complaints about the company !!!
 
Make that three of us and probably a lot more who are tired of all the
griping.
        .
        .
        .
>. . .  I made a careful decision about what
>I was getting for my money.  I knew Atari's reputation for support
>(or lack thereof), and factored that in.  I also knew Atari's
>reputation for building solid, quality hardware.  I have *NEVER*
>had any hardware problems with any of my Atari equipment.  I now have
        .
        .
        .
>
>                       <*heavy sigh of relief*>
>
>Alternate proposal:  How about comp.sys.atari.tech for serious technical
>                     discussions and exchanges of information in a
>                     civilized manner?
>
 
Nah !!! Let's just clean up our act on this group.  How about it, I won't
complain if you don't !!!
 
I really would like for this to be a worthwhile group.  If it turns into an
Atari bashing group it could die under its own weight.
 
Let's not let that happen.
 
>Please send all flames to alt.flames where I'll be happy to ignore them.
>Constructive criticisms and discussion always welcome.
>
>Stephen Goldstein     steveg@saic.com
>My first Atari system? A 24K Atari 800, Rev. A ROMS, C(not G)TIA graphics
>Disclaimer:  That's not what I said.
 
 
 
Thanks Stephen
 
mike
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 14 Nov 89 15:54:11 GMT
From:
 mailrus!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!watmath!watdragon!tiger!achowe@iuvax.cs.i
ndiana.edu  (anthony howe)
Subject: Gadgets by Small - Possible new '030 add-on board!
 
After reading the conference, I WANT ONE!!! Ohhh Honey sweet, tastes
really neat!! Heavy panting. A nice solid 030 board with scads of RAM
sounds good.
 
Q: While many applications should work like skiing speed demons, will
there be some facilty, like a switch (keyboard or physical), to flip
between the orginal 68K and the 030. I ask this because, while I love
programming and exploring the ST, I love my games too. Now I feel that
many games will work with no problem, I think some games will be
impossible to play because they'll be so fast!!! I mean I still haven't
finished << Time Bandits >> and up around those 3rd and 4th level,\
greebles move pretty frigging quick as is.
 
- ant
  achowe@tiger.waterloo.edu     | "It is hard to make the world go away
   _     -|-|_   _              |  when it has decided to notice you."
  (_\ |\| | | | (_) |\| \/      |  - Spock's World
                     ___/       |                        disclaimer...
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Tue, 14 Nov 89 18:28 EST
From: V053QHYX@ubvmsc.cc.buffalo.edu
Subject: Modula 2
 
I just d/l'ed and unzood modula 2 from ftp terminator..its all in german?!
Can anyone translate it??I'll create a new resource file for it if I can find
smeone to translate it..I'm sure other users would like it also..!!
    Jeremy
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 14 Nov 89 22:02:18 GMT
From:
 cs.utexas.edu!samsung!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!uflorida!winnie!zach!dcs60222@tut
.cis.ohio-state.edu  ( ENRIQUEZ)
Subject: ST Mouse
 
My ST mouse recently bit the big one and I have been investagating
the idea of investing in a higher quality version.  The question is
"Is there third-party support for higher quality ST compatable mouses
(or is that mice? :-)" or am I stuck with the, Icheap Atari version.
 
Also, I would appreciate a company name or a mail order house name
which could supply me with this.  I went to my local (in fact only)
ST shop and they wanted $50 for a replacement!  I havn't yet looked
in catalogs or mags, so I don't know if this is reasonable.
 
advTHANKSance,
 
    Mark Enriquez
 
    dcs60222@zach.uucp
 
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End of INFO-ATARI16 Digest V89 Issue #652
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