Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!fjcp60!winston
From: winston@fjcnet.GOV (Winston M. Llamas)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: 386's, TT's, a machine I want
Keywords: TT,386,Atari
Message-ID: <211@fjcp60.GOV>
Date: 24 Oct 89 13:39:45 GMT
Organization: Federal Judicial Center, Washington, D.C.
Lines: 47

I've been reading a lot of the messages in this group lately and one thing
is clear - while the rest of the computing world has progressed into the
late 80's, Atari is still stuck with early 1980's technology.  One of the
reasons I bought my ST was it's price - it afforded me the same computing
capability as a Mac (and a 6mhz AT) for a much lower price.  In many ways,
I got what I paid for - a lack of programs that I'd really like to use.
Sure there's Word Perfect, a couple of decent C compilers, and some really
terrific PD programs.  There are even good CAD and DTP applications
available.  Still, have you ever noticed that even some of the most used
programs on the ST (Flash is a glaring example) is feature deficient when
compared to programs available on other machines?

I've always wanted a nice Lisp interpreter/compiler/development system for
the ST.  On the MS-DOS world, there's PC-Scheme, which is just one heck
of a system (and it's affordable).  On the Mac, I use Allegro CL and 
MacScheme+Toolsmith, both excellent products.  On the ST, you have
Cambridge Lisp (okay, so it's a lot slower than other Lisp implementations
out there, when using the interpreter).  While the initial investment
with regards to procuring an ST is low, most of the cost of owning a computer
is spent on the time spent using it.  Without adequate software support, the
nicest machine will only gather dust.

I don't have an ST now, although I've kept a lot of my old ST software.
I bought an Amiga a little later than my ST and while Commodore has not been
much better at letting the world know what a neat little computer it has in
the Amiga, I find that I could do a lot of things with the Amiga that I could
not do with the ST (e.g. I can compile CLIPS, NASA's expert system shell with
Lattice C; none of the ST compilers I own [Laser C, Mark Williams, Prospero]
can do this).  Lately, I've even seen some ads for the Amiga on national
TV (as well as promotional video tapes on some local software and hardware
houses).  I have seen ads for the Portfolio, but what does that have to do
with the ST?  Or the TT (after reading the specs of this machine, I could not
believe I waited four years for something that "advanced").  I have a Mac IIcx
at work - something tangible I can use with software that I use and need.
How many people do you think will write software for the TT (at least here
in the U.S.).  Do you think Word Perfect Corporation will be out there in the
front line releasing their latest software for the ST/STE/TT?

The bottom line is, the best deal available on the computing world are the
myriads of 386 boxes available NOW.  You can buy Unix for it now and get
some good PD development tools.  And if you're desperate, you can even
run MS-DOS.  If Intel CPU's are not your bag, the Mac IIcx and IIci are
really nice boxes with tons of software available.

I guess count me as another disillusioned ex-ST user.

Winston "a computer is just a tool" Llamas