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From: grahamt@syma.sussex.ac.uk (Graham S Thomas)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st,comp.sys.atari.st.tech
Subject: Re: FSM-GDOS...When? How?
Message-ID: <5284@syma.sussex.ac.uk>
Date: 5 Jun 91 17:25:29 GMT
References: <1991May31.191105.13736@lonex.radc.af.mil>
Organization: SPRU, Univ. of Sussex, Brighton, UK
Lines: 49

From article <1991May31.191105.13736@lonex.radc.af.mil>, by longj@lonex.radc.af.mil (Jeffrey K. Long):
> I have been trying to get GDOS drivers for my HP Deskjet for "ever"
> it seems, and now have given up the search (No, I haven't ordered one from
> Migraph, please read rest of note) to await the arrival of FSM-GDOS.
> 
> Questions:
> 1) When will it be relesed ?

On past performance: much later than you want, later than you expect,
and a bit later than you'd dared to guess when, taking into account past
performance, you were being most pessimistic. 

> 
> 2) Who will handle distribution (Atari Directly, or through dealers, mail
>    order, ...)?

No doubt this will differ from country to country, and Atari UK will try
to handle it themselves, then spend a year trying to decide whether to
sell it or give it away (based on their treatment of the Epson emulator
for the SLM804 and the time it took them to release the presentation
graphics program Hyperchart.  By the way, Atari UK still sells v1.0 of
the Epson emulator, whereas Atari USA gives away v1.31.  I know which I
use, and I'm sorry I bought the UK product).

> 3) What will it cost, and will it include (as I have heard rumoured) drivers
>    for most printers including the HP DeskJet (original version)?

See above.  It would, of course, be sensible to include Deskjet drivers,
but if space is tight on the disk, then an SMM124 (Atari dot matrix
printer, if I've remembered the number correctly) driver might win out.

> 4) Can I get it now by buying Goldeaf's Wordflair II?

I don't know, but I bet a) they'd like to bundle it, and b) the Tramiels
won't let them even though the software engineers have had it ready for
a while.

> 5) Will this guy ever run out of questions? Why ask why? Why is the sky blue....

On the last question, read 'The Cuckoo's Egg'.  Some professor once
asked Cliff Stoll the same question in an astronomy exam and had him
sweating for hours over the answer. 

Wouldn't it be nice if Atari were to prove me wrong on 1-4 above?

Graham
-- 
Graham Thomas, SPRU, Mantell Building, U of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9RF, UK
Email: grahamt@syma.sussex.ac.uk   Phone: +44 273 678165   Fax: .. 685865