Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!usc!rutgers!cunixf.cc.columbia.edu!cunixa.cc.columbia.edu!cmm1 From: cmm1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Christopher M Mauritz) Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st Subject: Re: TOS 2.0 Keywords: TOS NEODESK DCDESKTOP ROMS Message-ID: <1990Nov7.144925.10232@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> Date: 7 Nov 90 14:49:25 GMT References: <1238@digi.lonestar.org> <1990Nov06.213749.13906@ecst.csuchico.edu> Sender: news@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (The Daily News) Organization: Columbia University Lines: 88 In article <1990Nov06.213749.13906@ecst.csuchico.edu> ekrimen@ecst.csuchico.edu (Ed Krimen) writes: >rgoseweh@digi.lonestar.org (Roy Gosewehr) writes: > >- Differing Opinion: >- >- - I happen to like having TOS in ROM. The machine boots faster and >- is less susceptible to viruses. (This is a MAJOR benifit, IMHO.) It boots faster??? While this may save you 5 seconds on startup, I really don't think the pain in the ass involved in upgrading ROMS is negated by that. MS-DOS and Macs take a few seconds to boot, but I don't see people complaining about that. You just can't argue with the fact that the Mac and MS-DOS OS' have been regularly updated and cleansed of bugs. That is definitely worth a few extra seconds at bootup. Hell, there are/were bugs in TOS that people have known about for *5* years that have only just been corrected (like the 40 folder bug, the pool bug, etc...)! > >I agree. I thought this was one of the advantages of having the OS >in ROM: fewer viruses. Isn't this why there are so many in the Mac >and IBM world? This is simply baloney. It is just as easy to write virii for the ST as any other machine. The reason you see so many more for other machines is because MORE PEOPLE USE THEM. If you have 50,000,000 people using a machine, the chances are greater that you'll have more miscreants writing virii than if you only have 1,000,000 people using the other brand. The fact that the OS is in ROM is really no big deal regarding virii. >Moreover, not to give anyone any hints, but couldn't NeoDesk and DC >Desktop be susceptible to viruses as well (even though I love NeoDesk >with a passion)? Any application is succeptible. >- - I don't understand why everyone keeps banging on Atari to release >- the TT TOS for the ST/STE. First of all, that would impact both >- Gribnif (NeoDesk) and Double Click (DC Desktop). We already know >- how few GOOD developers support the ST market, why make it tougher. I think holding back progress to wetnurse a couple of devlopers would be counterproductive to the eventual success of the machine. > >I think Atari would look better in the eyes of its users if they >released their newer desktop. (Remember support?) Support??? Hehe, you must be kidding. This is comp.sys.atari.st, not comp.sys.mac. Anyhow, I think it would be in their best interests to do so also, though I think price is the most important factor in this market segment. >- Secondly, if Atari came out with the TT TOS at (say) $70-$100, who >- would buy it? The same people that are NOT willing to spend $30-$50 >- on either NeoDesk or DC Desktop? Yeah, sure. > >Exactly. Who would buy it, even if it was selling for the same price >as NeoDesk or DC Desktop? That is why they should have a sane upgrade policy like Apple. Why should a person get reamed over and over just to have the most bug free OS? Jeez, you buy the OS with the computer so I think that it isn't unreasonable to expect upgrades as they become available at a reasonable price. $100 is 17% of the cost of a new 1040STe. If you're going after the bargain-basement computer market, then you can't expect to earn huge premiums on things like TOS upgrades. People won't go for it. > >On the otherhand, if the new TOS had something that the others don't >have, such as multitasking (e.g. MIDI-tasking), then I think there >would be many people out there in line (or on the phone to their >400-mile-away, local dealer) to get it. Or you could just call up David Beckemeyer and get a multitasking shell for the ST now and thumb your nose at Atari. Cheers, Chris ------------------------------+--------------------------- Chris Mauritz |D{r det finns en |l, finns cmm1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu |det en plan! (c)All rights reserved. | Send flames to /dev/null | ------------------------------+---------------------------