Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!microsoft!stuartb
From: stuartb@microsoft.UUCP (Stuart BURDEN)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Portfolio additional info wanted..
Message-ID: <56397@microsoft.UUCP>
Date: 8 Aug 90 02:23:17 GMT
Reply-To: stuartb@microsoft.UUCP (Stuart BURDEN)
Organization: Chaotic at best, Totally laughable at worst
Lines: 35

Hi All.  I'm seriously considering buying a Portfolio.. it's a pretty
neat piece of work!.

I'd like some input on a few issues though.

It seems that all the dealers I've spoken with have the same deal going; $399
with a parallel interface (and I believe an additional card..?).. are
there any dealers who's prices are almost always lowest (mail order houses?).

The dealers I spoke with mentioned very vaguely about public domain
software that was available for the Portfolio, then quickly changed the
subject when I asked them what kind and in what quantity (is this
propaganda or is there really a reasonable amount of PD stuff for it?).

One thing that interests me is a terminal emulator for the little beast..
again the dealer says there is one in the PD, but was a no show when I asked
for a demo.. does such a program exist (is it any good.. plain vanilla?)?

Does anyone know if Atari plan to produce a modem adaptor (rather than
plugging in the serial card and then a modem, just a modem that interfaces
directly to the Portfolio's interface bus)?

One more question (you can see that I got a huge quantity of information
from the dealer :-) :-)).. is the display matrix reconfigurable to display
80 cols of text rather than 40?.. if not does anyone know if Atari is
planning to release a version that does 80 cols?

Thanks muchly in advance for any info.  If all this has been discussed
before on the net, my appologies, and I would appreciate any e-mail
replies or summaries, in that case, if not I look forward to reading any
posted replies.

Stu.

-- Not yet an Atari owner :-)