Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!iuvax!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!uwm.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!kent
From: kent@swrinde.nde.swri.edu (Kent D. Polk)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Tek graphics emulation.
Message-ID: <23156@swrinde.nde.swri.edu>
Date: 3 Nov 89 22:37:54 GMT
References: <20823@usc.edu> <1989Oct28.200749.14829@eplrx7.uucp> <20893@usc.edu>
Reply-To: kent@swrinde.UUCP (Kent D. Polk)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas
Lines: 90

In article <20893@usc.edu> papa@pollux.usc.edu (Marco Papa) writes:
>
>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.
Sorry to hear this news.

Except for such as Pixmate, AmigaTeX and ACDA's efforts, I don't see
much technical software available for purchase.  There are many
professional, technical programs which I believe would sell. The Amiga
is extremely well suited to lab/real-time activities.  It is my
experience to hear "I agree, but where are the products to implement
this stuff?" I see technical MacII applications popping up all the time
which could be done much better on an Amiga.

Professional applications I need:

 - Instrumentation & data acquisition?
   a. DSP boards & software.
   b. GPIB software such as LabTech on the PC's & Macs.

 - Professional CAD/CAM - If Commodore is serious about CAD/CAM & the
   Amiga as their '89 Annual Report mentions, they should look into funding
   for such as GenericCAD or DITS (Do It ThemSelves).

 - Signal processing.

 - RadioGraphic Image processing. CT is a good start. How about a
   product?  This is one of the areas we are ready to pursue, but it is
   quite expensive for us to develop. I have also talked to several
   doctors and RT's who would LOVE to have such professional
   capabilities with Amigas.  One route is to contract these services &
   turn the result into a product. I'm looking into that also.  We're
   ready to buy. Any volunteers?

 - Function libraries or source code 'libraries'.  These might really
   be more useful to start with. License the stuff & sell it.  Listen
   carefully to your customers & allow for special circumstances. Then
   try to contract finished products based on the function libraries.

   a. FAST signal processing functions? ('881/blitter optimised)
   b. FAST real-time data plotting functions? (like AudioMasterII's
   sampling windows)
   c. FAST 2D/3D (volumetric data) pixel oriented data manipulations.
   d. Data manipulation & report functions?
   Package them with configurable user interface functions and usable
   examples.

 - Math packages (Mathematica)

 - A Postscript Printer Driver? B^)

Right now, I'm trying to build up some of these tools at project
expense, and I'm quite expensive. For those who say such is easy,
remember that not all of the Amiga news readers are hard-core
programmers. I'm a scientist and have other obligations.  Programming
has become a major part of my work over the years, but there
limitations...

Send me some mail. I brainstorm with you. Looks like we have a surplus
of programmers who need some different ideas. Benefits of using the Amiga
for real-time technical applications:
 1) High-speed Synchronous bus.
 2) Shared I/O interrupts
 3) Multitasking & all it's benefits.
Why not pursue them?  Don't forget that there's more $$$/package to be
had in the technical field than in the home market, but higher quality
is essential. I know many more people who adequately supplement their
income from technical software than from non-technical commercial
software.

We have found that the Amiga can do some incredible things in a lab
environment which is starting to turn some heads. They were easy
things. Now I have to come up with a more polished look and better user
interfaces.

I'm ready to do business.

/*
Home oriented software:
What about REAL educational software for kids?
What about REAL musical score editing & printing complete with proper text
handling - like a usable version of DMCS (Dr T's is not acceptible).
etc...
*/

====================================================================
Kent Polk - Southwest Research Institute - kent@swrinde.nde.swri.edu
        Motto : "Anything worth doing is worth overdoing"
====================================================================