Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!rex!uflorida!mephisto!gatech!dcatla!mclek From: mclek@dcatla.UUCP (Larry E. Kollar) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: MAC ][cx appraisal (long) Message-ID: <35685@dcatla.UUCP> Date: 27 Mar 90 20:55:26 GMT References: <15049@snow-white.udel.EDU> Reply-To: mclek@dcatla.UUCP (Larry E. Kollar) Organization: Racal-Milgo Information Systems, Alpharetta, GA Lines: 154 [Bear with me, folks, this is kind of long. But I speak as one who uses both a Mac and an Amiga regularly.] BARRETT%FOREST.ECIL.IASTATE.EDU@cunyvm.cuny.edu (Marc Barrett) writes: [heavily paraphrased] >MAC multitasking isn't as bad as Amiga users make it out to be >Amiga's graphics are kludgy, Mac's are professional >Mac has better font support >built-in networking on the Mac makes it the school choice >more software available for Mac The first and third points are mainly true; the others are either open invitations to Yet Another "My Computer is Better" flame war or honest misconceptions by someone who hasn't used both machines for a couple of years. In an effort to avoid the former, I'll assume the latter. I've used Macs for about 4 years now, mainly for word processing (I'm a tech writer). I bought an Amiga 500 about 2 years ago, even though I use a Mac every day and like it. A Multitasking Comparison I use a IIcx at work with 5 Meg RAM & a fast 40Meg Sony hard drive. Keeping in mind that the IIcx has a 68030 running at (16? 17?) Mhz, it multitasks about as smoothly as my Amiga 500 with a stock 68000 (7.16 Mhz). A plain Mac II, using a 68020, doesn't multitask as well as my 500. MultiFinder starts showing its limitations while printing. Every Mac/MultiFinder system I've used while printing in the background turns the mouse pointer into a "guess where it's going to end up" video game -- the pointer jerks all over the screen. I don't have that problem with my Amiga. The Mac OS was not designed for multitasking; it is to the credit of Apple's developers that MultiFinder works as well as it does. However, as with the bumblebee, anything with enough horsepower behind it can fly. The IIcx has LOTS of horsepower. Let's draw an analogy. The Mac is like an pre-Embargo Buick Electra. Nice car, very comfortable to drive, and in dire need of a big V8 motor to get it moving. On the other hand, the Amiga is more like a NASCAR stock car. It ain't supposed to look pretty, but it goes faster and corners better, even with a smaller engine. "Kludgey" Amiga Graphics vs. "Professional" Mac Graphics Out of the box, Amiga's Workbench isn't much to look at, sure. But while you're waiting for V1.4, which is supposed to include a MUCH nicer-looking interface, you can customize the current system for little or no money: - I've seen a PD program called "NewLook" which replaces the close box, the drag bar, and the depth, resizing, and arrow gadgets. The result is quite pleasant, even on a non-interlaced screen. - Another PD program, "DropShadow," gives you that shadowed-window look you covet. - A third PD program, "MacGAG," adds that "exploding/imploding outline" when you open or close a window. - There are many different fonts available to replace the standard system (Topaz) font. - A shareware program by Eric Lavitsky (what's it called, Eric? I just archived it yesterday) gives you a patterned background or an IFF picture in the background. The pattern or picture is covered by any open windows. I don't use any of those; I don't feel the need. I have tried them all though, and they *do* work. Interlace flicker can be a problem. However, a 2500/30 with a Flicker-Fixer and a multisync monitor still costs less than a IIcx, even with a monochrome screen on the CX. Other alternatives: use a long-persistance monitor, or wait for the new Denise chip & version 1.4, which will give you a 400+ line non-interlaced display with a multisync monitor. Fonts You didn't mention that the Mac automatically resizes a font if the size you select is not installed already. This is one place where the Mac really has an advantage. Version 1.4 of the Amiga system will support outline fonts (or at least have "hooks" for them), which is equivalent to the (forthcoming) Mac system 7.0, or a Mac running Adobe Type Manager. In my opinion, point vs. pixel size isn't really an issue outside of page layout programs, and the Amiga programs also use point size to select fonts. Networking You said that built-in networking "is one reason that Macs outsell Amigas in schools/colleges." Well, IBM sells more computers to colleges than Apple, and PCs don't have built-in networking. Apple (and IBM) have more *widely-known* networking hardware. (Not to say I don't love AppleTalk; it's everything a LAN should be except fast.) There *are* Amiga LAN cards; they're just not widely marketed. A digression: the real reason Apple sells lots of computers into schools and colleges is the deep discount over the inflated retail prices. Commodore has just started such a discount plan, so Apple may find itself with some competition before too long. Apple cut the student discount prices 20% the day after CBM announced their discount program -- a coincidence? Software Availability Summary: the Mac has been around longer, and has had more support from Apple. It also helps to have a captive software house (Claris), even if they've been spun off. Overall, you can find *a* piece of software for either machine for most applications. There's a wider choice of applications available for the Mac. For example, you mentioned Mathamatica. A competitive product called "Maple" is available for the Amiga. How much video/animation software do you see for the Mac? Each machine fills different niche markets -- the sharp displays and graphics on the Mac have made it a nice office machine. The Amiga's NTSC-compatible video makes it a nice studio machine. >Most software developers that spend money on the Amiga lose >money on it. This is why so many Amiga developers have gone under ["When you want to flame somebody, go get a cup of coffee or something, take a deep breath, and act rational." - paraphrased from the new user's postings] Several *magazines* have gone under, but I don't recall hearing of "many" *developers* going under recently. New Amiga developers are starting up all the time. Those who provide a decent level of customer support do well enough, from what I've seen. So Lotus and Microsoft don't have any products out for the Amiga. That may be changing.... Some will tell you that having no Microsoft products for the Amiga is a feature rather than a bug. Someone flames Microsoft almost every day in comp.sys.mac for bugs or programming guideline violations. I've rambled on long enough. I hope this sheds more light than heat. -- F R E E L I T H U A N I A Larry Kollar UUCP ...!{gatech,uunet}!dcatla!mclek VoiceMail:One 2670