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From: papa@pollux.usc.edu (Marco Papa)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Tek graphics emulation.
Message-ID: <20893@usc.edu>
Date: 29 Oct 89 04:21:29 GMT
References: <20823@usc.edu> <1989Oct28.200749.14829@eplrx7.uucp>
Sender: news@usc.edu
Reply-To: papa@pollux.usc.edu (Marco Papa)
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Organization: Felsina Software, Los Angeles, CA
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In article <1989Oct28.200749.14829@eplrx7.uucp> costello@eplrx7.uucp (Tim Costello) writes:
>From article <20823@usc.edu>, by papa@pollux.usc.edu (Marco Papa):
[....]
|| is not usable with any of the commercial packages.  We've had a Tek 4105
|| emulator done since 1987, but it is not clear if it will ever be released.
|| 
|| -- Marco Papa 'Doc'

|	Gee, why might that be?  Is there some legal problem with releasing
|it?  Could you release it as shareware?

No legal problem. Only *MONEY* is the problem: money to polish the product,
and minimum assured sales for it.  Right now, we can't get either, though
we might end up porting it to MS-Windows. Sad, but true.  BTW, the Tek4105
emulator for the Amiga was shown at AmiEXPO '87 in LA, and I showed it myself
to Willy Langeveld at the last DevCon.  Unlike VLT, our supports each and
every Tek4105 graphics command. But then, since it might never be available,
the issue is moot.

|	Anyway, I think there is a crying need for this package, at least for
|those of us in technical fields.  So many "mainframe" (couldn't think of a
|better term) packages that use graphics use 4105 style terminal output, that 
|almost everyone I know using a PC or a MAC is using a 4x0y emulation package of
|some sort.  Including me, as I have a (YECHHH) PS/2 on my desk  not, hmmmm, 
|accepted well around here.  Personally, a commercial package
|like that, would make my efforts to convince the powers that be, that I should
|have an Amiga on my desk and not this silly (makes me) blue thing.

It is a chicken and egg problem. Until we can be assured of minimum sales
to fund the rest of the development, we can't do it.  The Amiga sales in
the technical field currently do not support that assurance (and no publisher
seems to be convinced that he could assure us ANY sales).

Shareware? You were joking, right?  At tonight PAX meeting, it was noticed
of how many of the 'earlier' Amiga developers (including myself) now are NOT 
developing for the Amiga any more.  Is it a trend? I don't know.

-- Marco Papa 'Doc'
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