Xref: utzoo comp.os.os9:1321 comp.sys.m6809:1343 Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!sdd.hp.com!ucsd!ogicse!pdxgate!eecs!griffith From: griffith@eecs.cs.pdx.edu (Spectre of Death) Newsgroups: comp.os.os9,comp.sys.m6809 Subject: Re: CoCo 4(MM/1 Vs Amiga) Message-ID: <673@pdxgate.UUCP> Date: 15 Nov 90 07:57:14 GMT References: <90.316.14:21:42@ira.uka.de> <4038.27426cdc@cc.nu.oz.au> Sender: news@pdxgate.UUCP Lines: 62 v8803330@cc.nu.oz.au writes: >I have a friend here in Oz who owns an Amiga. Everytime the subject of the MM/1 >comes up, he points out several facts that make the Amiga sound like a much >better proposition. These are: > 1) Software support. > 2) After sales support. > 3) User base. Okay. I'll deal with these in order: 1) Software support: your friend is right in some respects, although as I have heard it there is a large base of source code and pet projects running on OS9/OSK which should work as is or with little effort in modification. Still, it is interesting to hear these points being made, as these were the sames ones being made when I considered which machine to buy. I bought an Amiga. I'm now looking into the MM/1 as my next machine. (Note: I'm not going to give up the Amiga though. I want 'em both!) My guess is that the Amiga has better hardware, but that the MM/1 has a better operating system. Personally, the closer to Unix the better. Of course, I could run Unix on a big fat 020 or 030 Amiga box, but hey, I'm poor. So, I think it really depends on what you want to do with it. If you are an inexperienced user type, I'd suggest the Amiga right now. If you're more the software/hardware hacker I'd put money on the MM/1. 2) After sales support: IMHO, the support for the Amiga could be a hell of a lot better. My dealings with my dealer have been horrific. It took about a month to get a monitor fixed and in the end they sent it to another company to get it done. This isn't a large factor when I make a purchase, but it may be in yours. I haven't needed to go to Commodore, so I don't know what they're like. The MM/1 people were friendly over the phone, but I have no idea how big they are. I really doubt they have an Australian branch unless they are closely held by a larger company. Who knows though, these are just guesses. 3) User support: this one is pretty close to software support. I think the Amiga has a pretty solid set of users, although it isn't any huge number like the MS-DOS clone family (yech!) and will never be without the cloning itself. The MM/1 will probably also develop a small and devout following. With its hardware I doubt it will go the way of the ST here in the US. ST was a bit to IBMish for my tastes with GEM (also available on the ST) and its stupid DOS disk compatibility (I hate short filenames). Anyways, you'll see quite a few CoCo owners I bet. Anybody have an estimate as to how many there are? >How can I be sure that the MM/1 can satisfy all these points down here in >Australia? I don't want to spend my money and then find that I have to ship it >back to the states for repairs. >Any help would be appreciated. >BTW, are there plans to release the MM/1 in Australia considering the different >power standards we have (ie 240V 50Hz)? By my guess you would be better to go the way of the Amiga, unless you're really into hacking hardware and software. That may change in the future, but that's my best prediction. Madame Seer -Knows all but tells nothing | Michael Griffith | If I had an opinion it certainly | | griffith@eecs.ee.pdx.edu | wouldn't be the same one as | | ...!tektronix!psueea!eecs!griffith | Portland State University anyways. |