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From: Classic_-_Concepts@cup.portal.com
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: PLATO emulator for Amy? (also: grabbing at straws)
Message-ID: <27821@cup.portal.com>
Date: 12 Mar 90 01:43:33 GMT
References: <8836@sun.acs.udel.edu>
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Lines: 18

> Does anyone know of a PLATO terminal emulator for the Amiga ...
 
Umm.  Well, you know, PLATO (at least if it was a true version that I saw
a couple of years ago) was not that different from BASIC.  What I saw had
very much the same type of high level command syntax and structure.  Have
you considered trying your application with AmigaBASIC?  Or simpler still
what about The Director?  I know it is billed as an animator, but even
if all you wanted to do was display text on the page, it could do that for
you very simply, in addition to including graphics much more easily than
you could with BASIC.
It depends on what your technical background is and what you want to use
it for, but you would probably find The Director much easier to develop
powerful presentations with than PLATO.  I could be wrong.  Long time since
I've seen it and perhaps it is more powerful now, but check out the Director.
Command syntax runs along the lines of PRINT, GOTO, WIPE, FADE, DISPLAY, etc.
Those are fine for writing educational applications if you have limited
knowledge of programming.  Good luck.
                            Julie (LadyHawke@cup.portal.com)