Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!wugate!uunet!fjcp60!winston
From: winston@fjcnet.GOV (Winston M. Llamas)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Pick your software first (Was: 386's, TT's, a machine I want)
Summary: software availability
Keywords: TT,386,Atari
Message-ID: <216@fjcp60.GOV>
Date: 30 Oct 89 15:09:51 GMT
References: <211@fjcp60.GOV> <2729@water.waterloo.edu> <2731@water.waterloo.edu>
Organization: Federal Judicial Center, Washington, D.C.
Lines: 43

In article <2731@water.waterloo.edu>, ljdickey@water.waterloo.edu (L.J.Dickey) writes:
> In a rather lengthy and meandering article, (what was his point anyway?),
> <211@fjcp60.GOV> winston@fjcnet.GOV (Winston M. Llamas) writes:
> 
> > ...   In many ways,
> > I got what I paid for - a lack of programs that I'd really like to use.
> 
> This rings a bell for me.  I remember some advice that I got from
> John Bear, in his delightful book "Computer Wimp", he lists "166
> things I wish I had known before I bought my first computer".
> 
> Point number 25 says to choose the software before you buy the hardware.
> ...
Checking to see what software on a computing platform is certainly a good
idea.  On the other had, if you buy a machine when it first comes out, you
really don't have the luxury of examining a broad software base.  It's too
bad that the process of hardware introduction - software availability is
akin to the "chicken before the egg" situation.  One can't always tell
how a machine will do in a marketplace, thus restricting the amount of
software inititially developed for the machine.  This lag in software
availability translates to diminished hardware sales - after all, there
are machines out there that can do the same thing at roughly the same
prices.  What makes a difference in the early moments of a computer's
life-cycle is support from the manufacturer.  The fact that Atari has
not always provided good aftermarket support has not helped it in the
marketplace.

When the ST was first introduced, it was a good, low cost computer with
the same capabilities as other machines on the market (the Mac, the AT).
The Mac market and the PC compatible market have moved forward in the last
few years.  We are now only getting a glimpse of what Atari has to offer
for the future.  In many ways, the TT is a good machine.  Is it significantly 
better than what a decent 386 clone has to offer?  I don't think so.  Unless 
Atari gives users an overriding reason to buy a TT, it's market penetration 
will be marginal, at best. 

In short, Atari will have to offer more than "power without the price" to
lure people to buy their machines.  I'd be interested to see how the new
machines are marketed (with Comdex coming soon).  And in keeping with
today's consumer spending attitude, "give me a reason to buy it, and I
probably will."  Good software (that I can use) is as good a reason as any.

-Winston