Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!jarthur!uci-ics!ucla-cs!oahu!stephen
From: stephen@oahu.cs.ucla.edu (Steve Whitney)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Comments on STE -- (un)known facts
Message-ID: <29836@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU>
Date: 8 Dec 89 00:08:50 GMT
References: <2310@pkmab.se> <370002@acf5.NYU.EDU> <2348@pkmab.se> <1842@atari.UUCP> <881@per2.UUCP>
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Reply-To: stephen@oahu.UUCP (Steve Whitney)
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In article <881@per2.UUCP> dag@per2.UUCP (Daniel A. Glasser) writes:
>The "Cookie Jar" sounds to be similar to the "WIMP" directive that
>was (is?) in P/OS running on the DEC Professional series (325, 350, 380).
>WIMP stood for "What's In My Professional?".  I'm glad that you folks
>have finally caught up with 1982 in that area, though you're still back
>in the mid-to-late 70's with most of TOS, and the early to mid 80's with GEM.

<stepping up onto my soapbox now...>

You know, I try to ignore stuff like this, but I just can't this time.  I'd
send you nasty mail, but I want the people likely to be offended by this to
see the response.

First of all, the ST is a personal computer.  The "Cookie Jar" is relatively
new to that arena.  Secondly, how do you know it's 1982 technology if you don't
know how it's implemented or even the extent of what it does.  I do, by the way
but I have been asked not to disclose it until it's made public by Atari and
I intend to honor that request.  (Even thought I haven't signed the new
non-disclosure agreement yet :-)  It's quite well done, believe me.

The REAL reason I replied to your posting is that it's offensive.  If you ever
expect to see more upgrades to TOS, you shjouldn't be discouraging those whose
sweat and enthusiasm it will take to make it happen.  _SOME_ of us appreciate
the things Atari's doing of late (like TOS 1.4, HDX 3.x, cookie jar) and we'd
like to continue to see improvements.

If you want to scare Ken B. and others off the net, continue to offend them 
this way.  Remember, they have constraints to work within, not the least of
which is compatibility.  The three enchancements I mentioned above are fine 
examples of how Atari (read Atari's engineers) has provided enhancements
which increase the value of older machines without being incompatible with
old software.

<off the soapbox and back to comp.sys.atari.st>

(more dross deleted)
> _____________________________________________________________________________
>    Daniel A. Glasser                           One of those things that goes
>    uwvax!per2!dag                              "BUMP!!!(ouch)" in the night. 
> ---Persoft, Inc.---------465 Science Drive-------Madison, WI 53711-----------


--
Steve Whitney   "It's never _really_ the last minute"       (())_-_(())
UCLA Comp. Sci. Grad. Student                                | (* *) | 
Internet: stephen@cs.ucla.edu              UCLA Bruin-->    {  \_@_/  }
GEnie:    S.WHITNEY                                           `-----'