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From: sokay@richard.mitre.org (Steve Okay)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Question about IBM and Multitasking:  What is Micro channel?
Message-ID: <119398@linus.mitre.org>
Date: 7 Sep 90 17:57:26 GMT
References: <1132@orange9.qtp.ufl.edu>
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In article <1132@orange9.qtp.ufl.edu> sutherla@qtp.ufl.edu (Scott Sutherland) writes:
>
>	As an avid Amiga user for over 3 years, I, and many others, often
>take multi-tasking for granted.  Now I am starting to see new commercials
>for the IBM PS/2 line of computers which "hails the age of PC multi-tasking".
>AAAARRRGGGGHHH!  (Now I feel better)  They are pushing a product (?) or
>something called "micro channel".  Can anyone tell me what this is?  How does
>it compare in multi-tasking to the Amiga?  What hardware/software is required
>as a minimum configuration?  Does this have any relationship to MS Windows 
>(I thought Windows was supposed to give multi-tasking to the IBM computers)??
>
>Just curious.  I like to know what the competition is up to.
>
>Scott Sutherland
>sutherla@qtp.ufl.edu
>
>
>BTW, has anyone seen the new commercial for the IBM PS/1, which big blue calls
>"the computer for everyone" (or some such nonsense) with an easy user interface
>and built in software??  Comments?  

In article <1132@orange9.qtp.ufl.edu> sutherla@qtp.ufl.edu (Scott Sutherland) writes

[comments about PS/2s and MCA deleted]

>BTW, has anyone seen the new commercial for the IBM PS/1, which big blue calls
>"the computer for everyone" (or some such nonsense) with an easy user interface
>and built in software??  Comments?  

I heard a commercial for them on the radio the other night, and there was a brief 
blurb about how it was "so simple, it even tells you what to do and how to do it", or
some similar twaddle.The whole commercial was a little condescending to even the 
"naive user"'s level of techno-literacy.It kind reminded me of the Ziggy cartoon
with a PC glaring at him saying "Look bozo, thats 3rd time in a row you've hit the
wrong key. Go play PacMan and let me handle this!".

I also saw one at Fed Micro '90 in D.C. yesterday. It's this little tiny box with
a non-AT type keyboard, with one disk drive and slots that look like expansion ports
but are really just ventilation slats(!???). It was running an "Intro to your PS/1"
-type demo in blocky, CGA type graphics with these pitiful little piezo bleeps coming
from it. First time I've ever felt sorry for a computer.

---Steve
------------------
Stephen Okay             Technical Aide, The MITRE Corporation
OKAY@TAFS.MITRE.ORG
Disclaimer: I get *MYSELF* in enough trouble with my opinions,
            why inflict them on MITRE?