Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 (Tek) 9/28/84 based on 9/17/84; site iddic.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!tektronix!orca!iddic!richr
From: richr@iddic.UUCP (Rich Rodgers)
Newsgroups: net.micro.amiga,net.micro.atari
Subject: Atari vs. Amiga vs. Mac (Semi-Flame)
Message-ID: <2228@iddic.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 9-Oct-85 17:51:39 EDT
Article-I.D.: iddic.2228
Posted: Wed Oct  9 17:51:39 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 12-Oct-85 06:34:51 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR
Lines: 68
Xref: linus net.micro.amiga:4220 net.micro.atari:1250

*** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR FAVORITE COMPUTER ***

FLAME ON

I for one am getting tired of the silly comparisons of the ST and the Amiga.
Please keep the articles that say "I bought an ST and the Amiga sucks"
out of net.micro.amiga.  Send them to /dev/null.  If you insist on posting
them please substantiate your claims by posting algorithms that were used to
achieve your results.  (If the processor is only 30% effective, why and how?)
Did you run a test with 520 ST assembly language and compare it with ABasiC?
List all the variables involved.  Valid comparisons are more than welcome.

FLAME OFF

In reply to an article that was posted.

The person that had problems hooking speakers to his Amiga, had problems
because he was not running software that used sound.  Not because of problems
with his machine or the speaker interface.

The person that could not copy a disk at the dealers could not do so because
the version of Intuition he was using did not support that feature.  The 
released version does this fine.

It is relatively easy to crash preliminary versions of the OS.  I have done so
many times at my local dealer.  The released version that came with my 
developers kit has only crashed when I instructed it to :-).

My personal (hopefully non-biased) opinion of these three machines.

Apple Macintosh-
  Excellent user interface, especially among differing applications.  Well
thought out.  Excellent machine for documentation, probably the best I have
seen to date.  Needs a great spread sheet program and a hard disk to become the
business machine it could be.  Closed architecture hurts it.

Atari 520ST-
  Superb machine in monochrome mode.  Very good color graphics possibilities
in color mode.  Acceptable sound.  Machine has yet to prove itself.  As
software becomes available, this machine may find a niche in the home market.
The closed box approach may hurt this machine more than Atari realizes. (Do
they never learn?)  Excellent price for performance.

Amiga-
  Most powerful graphics/sound computer ever introduced for the low end
microcomputer market. (If you do not believe it, you are biased)  Has the
ability to revive PC market.  Arcade quality games will finally be available
for the home.  Is powerful enough to become a business machine, but Commodore
name may kill off that market.  Open architecture expands power.  Price is
the biggest barrier.

The price performance issue can be heavily debated over these three machines.
In my opinion, they are mostly equal.  The decision over what is most 
valuable to you is a personal one that once made will probably be a good one.
I personally want the best graphics/sound available and so for me the Amiga was
worth the extra money.  Once you use the multitasking on a microcomputer you
will never want to go back to single tasking.  I made the choice that was best
for me, hopefully you can make the choice that is best for you.  When you do 
that, I am pleased for you, but please do not force me to listen to you
saying that I made the wrong one.  (I realize I do not have to read the 
articles, but I keep believing that some useful comparisons will be posted.)

P.S.  Anybody interested in forming an Amiga Users Group in the Portland, OR
area please contact me via email.  I have two other friends also interested.
-- 
				Rich Rodgers

				tektronix!iddic!richr