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From: scott@max.acs.washington.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.cbm
Subject: Re: 80 columns Card for the C64
Message-ID: <6092@max.acs.washington.edu>
Date: 25 Aug 89 21:47:08 GMT
References: <6064@max.acs.washington.edu> <6072@max.acs.washington.edu> <1989Aug25.154713.13860@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu>
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle WA
Lines: 61

In article <1989Aug25.154713.13860@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu>, leblanc@eecg.toronto.edu (Marcel LeBlanc) writes:
> In article <6072@max.acs.washington.edu> scott@max.acs.washington.edu writes:
>
> .... [long discussion about hardware requirements for good 80 columns] ...
>
>>And the need for a 80 columns card is greater than ever. Before,
>>many people bought the C64 for entertainment. But more and more users
>>are using the C64 for productive work. And we require clear 80 columns
>>display for wordprocessors, spread sheets and databases. Also, as
>
> I think software sales indicate that you have this backwards.  The last
> article I read on this subject indicated that what market there may have
> been at one time for business software has all but vanished.  Virtually all
> new titles being sold for the C64 are games.
 
Besides playing games on a C64, how many of the C64 users use their
C64 for wordprocessing? A lot. Most C64 users, beside having a many
games, they also have one or two word processors. And they don't
want to buy another wordprocessor whose feature has no drastic improvement
over the one they already got.
But how many people would jump to the opportunity of upgrading their
wordprocessor to a one that offers crip, clear 80 columns view of
of the screen? Almost all. And this indeed will be a large market    
yet untapped. Moreover, with the re-introduction of an 80 columns card, now
software manufacture would have  the incentive to create such
wordprocessor. This could not only happen for wordprocessor BUT FOR
EVERY APPLICATION SOFTWARE AVAILABLE FOR THE C64, which presently
are only 40 columns... Who will not take a chance is such winning-venture?
Like I said in the previous message, before 80 columns card weren't
feasible because of cost of 80 columns monitors and the cards
itself. But now, we got the right cost, but not the right hardware.
 
Looking at sale statistic could be misleading. The sale indicates
what people are buying what is available in the market at present.
It tells in no way what people need or want for the future.
If games are the best software availbable for the C64 than games
is surely what people will buy. Not because they like games over an 
application software-package, but because that is all there is. 
 
 
>>modem has become more affortable, more and more us are using our
>>C64s for telecommunication. And we require 80 columns display to
>>access main frames and unix system. Moreover excellent telecommunication
>>softwares like Kermit has appear which takes advantage of the
>>80 columns card.
>
> This may be the only real potential market for 80 column cards today.  But
> what software would support it?
>
 
Kermit 2.2 terminal programs support the BI-80 columns card. And I am
sure that with the reintroduction of the BI-80 card or any other
80 columns card more software will be written in ways to support
the card, it would be illogical not to. And I am sure I will be one
of them   :)
 
 
 
Sincerely,
Scott K. Stephen