Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!van-bc!mdavcr!rdr From: rdr@mdavcr.UUCP (Randolph Roesler) Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st Subject: Re: FLAMES and SUPPORT IN THE MINUS REALM Message-ID: <702@acrux.mdavcr.UUCP> Date: 12 Dec 89 22:15:01 GMT References: <2352@pkmab.se> <1830@atari.UUCP> <2370@pkmab.se> <1854@atari.UUCP> <874@lzaz.ATT.COM> <1864@atari.UUCP> <2369@cuphub.cup.edu> <6983@chaph.usc.edu> Reply-To: rdr@mdavcr.UUCP (Randolph Roesler) Organization: MacDonald Dettwiler, Richmond, B.C., Canada Lines: 47 > But why should Atari support the end-users/public domain programmers? Most >people who own computers have absolutely no desire whatsoever to program it. >They just want to _use_ it and possibly play games one it. _THAT'S_ it. They >don't give a damn if Turbo C is available for their machine, they just care >that WordPerfect's available for it. All the people who've been sending flames >to Ken _are_ way off base. comp.sys.atari.st is by no means an accurate >representation of all Atari end-users out there. Don: Hello Randy, I am looking for a personal computer for use at home. You know, games, a spreadsheet or two. Randy: Well .... Don: I thought I would ask you about which type of computer to buy, you being a computer person, working for a great big company, you guys must have all kinds of good information. What computer do you have ? Randy: I have an Atari ST Mega 2 and and older IBM. Don: What kind of things can it do. Can it play games, talk to IBMs, can my kid learn to program on it. Randy: Well, to tell you the truth, its hard to program. Harddisks are expensive because no one know how to build the silly things. Public domain games are hard to find, as there are not too many hackers. Programs are reasonable priced, but ... --------------------------------------------------------------------- Not realistic ? Why not ? I am a computer "person", I do not want to program by Mega 2. But I do want to play around with it. I need reasonable technical support, either from Atari or from the book store (like IBMs provide). By not making it fun for us high end users, Atari is creating a lot of bad press for itself. Would I really say those things to Don. No. Would I lie to him. No. What he will hear is what really is. Atari supports only professional developers ! -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It's not the size of your signature that Randy Roesler counts - it's how you use it! MacDonald Dettwiler & Assc. email ...!uunet!van-bc!mdavcr!rdr BC Canada 604-278-3411