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From: keithd@cadovax.UUCP (Keith Doyle)
Newsgroups: net.micro.atari,net.micro,net.micro.68k
Subject: Atari's new 16 bit'r
Message-ID: <371@cadovax.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 23-Jan-85 13:11:46 EST
Article-I.D.: cadovax.371
Posted: Wed Jan 23 13:11:46 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 26-Jan-85 05:48:13 EST
Organization: Contel Cado, Torrance, CA
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Xref: watmath net.micro.atari:595 net.micro:9178 net.micro.68k:530

[..........]
I've recently read some Usenet articles expressing some doubt about
Atari's ability to produce these new claimed 16 bit products, i.e.
68000 with GEM for $399 etc.  While they may be sticking their neck
out, I think many of us should HOPE they succeed.  Otherwise, we'll
probably be looking at that 8086 family junk for the rest of our lives.

I think that both Motorola and Digital Research probably have a fair
size stake in this matter.  In order to capture a bigger piece of the
3rd party software market, they both benifit from a standardized operating
system that is transportable to various 68000 based machines.  Certainly
Apple is not offering this with their Mac, (try running MacPaint or 
MacWhatever off the shelf on anything but an Apple product!).
Software developers want to see an applications environment that provides
object-code transportability to a variety of machines from different
manufacturers.  Right now, that means IBM and clones.

I certainly hope Atari succeeds, as the new products may finally establish
an environment on the 68000 that is more condusive to applications growth.

Rather than take the 'It'll be a cold day in hell...' attitude about the
new Atari (which may amount to saying 'It'll be a cold day in hell when
you can find any 68000 generic applications'), I'd rather wish them luck
and hope that their cutthroat marketing approach has the desired effect
of establishing the 68000 de-facto standard.


Keith Doyle
{ucbvax,ihnp4,decvax}!trwrb!cadovax!keithd
"You'll PAY to know what you REALLY think!"