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From: foust@gumby.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro.amiga
Subject: Infoworld's Dvorak and the Amiga, and Big, Slimy Atari Ads
Message-ID: <438@gumby.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 10-Sep-85 20:30:41 EDT
Article-I.D.: gumby.438
Posted: Tue Sep 10 20:30:41 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 14-Sep-85 02:25:27 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: U of Wisconsin CS Dept
Lines: 57

Has everyone seen the latest ad from Atari on the back of the latest 
(Sept. 9) Infoworld?

Atari compares the Atari ST, the Macintosh, and the Amiga.  Guess who 
comes out ahead!

The ad has pictures of a Mac, an AT, and an Amiga (not a picture, a 
sketch in blueprint blue) across the top.  The ad says "There's only 
one word for these prices: Rip-off."

This ad should get the apples==oranges award of 1985.  It's worse 
than the Intel vs. Motorola ads.

A chart sits on the side of the ad:

		Atari ST	IBM AT		Mac	Amiga
Price		799		4675		2795	1795
CPU		68000		80286		68000	68000
Speed Mhz	8.0		6.0		7.83	7.16
Standard RAM	512K		256K		512K	256K
# of keys	95		95		59	89
Mouse		Yes		No		Yes	Yes
Screen Res
color		640x200		640x200		None	640x200***
mono		640x400		720x350**	512x342	640x200***
Color output	Yes		Optional	None	Yes
# of colors	512		16		None	4096
Disk drive	3.5"		5.25"		3.5"	3.5"
Built in Hard
disk (DMA) port Yes		Yes		No	No
MIDI interface	Yes		No		No	No
# of sound voices 3		1		4	4

(fine print:)
** with optional monochrome board (non bit-mapped)
*** interlace mode - 640x400


Anybody want to have fun?  Let's have a contest to see how many 
inaccuracies we can find in this ad...


Also, Dvorak says this in his column:

"_If You Haven't Noticed Department._  All the high-profile technology 
writers are _withholding judgement_ concerning the Amiga.  I'm not 
sure exactly why this is.  The wait-and-see attitude isn't good for 
a new computer.  Witness the Mindset fiasco.  The only way to get 
into the market with a _hot new machine_ is the way Apple brought out 
the Macintosh: lots of hoopla and hacker support.  Commodore 
introduced the Amiga in New York to a lot of _jaded national media_ 
folk and _insulted technology writers_ by keeping them out of 
question and answer sessions.  Instead of catering to computer heroes 
like Bill Budge, they catered to uninspiring Andy Warhol."


John