Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!uunet!iconsys!caeco!i-core!pete From: pete@i-core.UUCP (Pete Ashdown) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re:Blowing their cover (rambling) Summary: Last great hacker machine? Message-ID: <1989Nov26.075959.822@i-core.UUCP> Date: 26 Nov 89 07:59:59 GMT References: <4114@nigel.udel.EDU> Organization: Bitsko's Bar & Grill, Public Access, Salt Lake City, UT Lines: 18 This talk about how the Mac and the IBM's eventually became slaves to the execudroid brings about another idea. Is the Amiga, the last great machine of the hacker? What I'm speaking of is not the pirate/hacker, but the classic hacker. The person who buys a machine, then programs/modifies it to his own delights. The Apple II was a great example of this and I am starting to realize that the Amiga is probably the last example of it. Every computer introduced now is either shut up tight, or costs ten grand and is a "workstation." Try starting a Fish disk collection on a NeXT, har har. I've seen some wild developments on the Amiga since I bought one in early '86. Everything from a program that plays "La Conda Via" on my disk drive to its ever increasing graphics capabilities (anyone seen NewTek's Dynamic Hires yet? WOW!). I just don't think that if I invested in a brand, spanking new Mac IIci with AU/X, I would see that kind of "underground innovation." I also don't seem to think tha any bunch of hardware hackers are going to get together and create another dream machine like the Apple II was and the Amiga was as well. Is innovation dead? Is this severe rambling?