Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site topaz.RUTGERS.EDU Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!gamma!epsilon!zeta!sabre!petrus!bellcore!decvax!ucbvax!ucdavis!lll-crg!caip!topaz!eric From: eric@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU (Eric Lavitsky) Newsgroups: net.micro.amiga,net.micro.atari Subject: Re: ST wins over Amiga (??!) Message-ID: <4301@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU> Date: Wed, 25-Dec-85 13:31:42 EST Article-I.D.: topaz.4301 Posted: Wed Dec 25 13:31:42 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 28-Dec-85 00:20:31 EST References: <617@ihlpm.UUCP> <2511@dragon.fluke.UUCP> <1958@islenet.UUCP> Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J. Lines: 98 Xref: watmath net.micro.amiga:1295 net.micro.atari:2107 Hi, Well, since you cross posted this, I feel obligated to followup. I do not care to further the Usenet Amiga/ST debate, I just want to correct some misonformation in Mr. Spangler's article: > >On software availability: > > > >Lets see now. 520ST's became available in June and the software is now > >ready in December. > > Uh, excuse me, but the Amiga was launched on July 23, 1985 -- Well, if you want to go this far, the ST was *launched* in January - it became available to the public in June. The Amiga became available to the public in October. > >us all know where the relative priorities of software producers lie. I > > You know it's funny that you mention that now that Island Graphics has > dropped the Amiga (which Commodore can't afford it seems). The thing I > have seen of software availability is that there is *alot* of software > available for the ST. Commodore admittedly has said that the software > is lacking. Seems Comdex cleared up the issue of software -- for the ST > anyway. > Island Graphics dropped completely out of the microcomputer market and went off to mini/mainframe land. It was a decision not necessarily made because of the Amiga. > >... and I think its place in the market > >is secure for awhile at least. But I don't tkink the Amiga is going away. > > There you go *thinking* again. Anyway, all flaming aside, I feel > a sense of jealousy here. It seems that people here have to justify > why they believe the Amiga is a better machine, because they can't > believe that a machine like the 520ST exists. > Well, if you're not jealous, why did you write this article defending the ST? > You know, it was interesting to read the article in Inforworld (12/2) on > "Christmas Contenders". > "Observers have noted some clear distinctions between > the Amiga buyer and the Atari 520ST buyer. Although > the ST is the less expensive computer, its typical > buyer is a veteran computer user, according to Martin > Bartholomey, owner of Home Computers Co... > > "We're winning the battle of the techies," says Sam Tramiel > president of Atari..."Hackers are our first customers. > They influence the market and tell their friends." > On the other hand, the current Amiga buyer is likely > to be a first-time computer buyer, says Ed Anderson, vice > president of marketing of The Computer Factory..." > > The question then becomes: why do techies and experience computer > users prefer the 520ST over the higher-priced Amiga? Hmmm. > > I probably planted a bomb. Oh well. > > Aloha, > > -- > Jonathan Spangler > {ihnp4,vortex,dual}!islenet!jons > "On Thursday, the world came to an end." > Wow, you read InfoWorld! - I hear it's a great magazine!... (ahem) Gossip is gossip - using comments from Jack Tramiel and the folks at InfoWorld is hardly unbiased concrete evidence. Talk to dealers yourself and you'll find most Amiga owners so far are hard core hackers (and yes, there are many first time users buying it because they want the leading edge of technology). The ST is a great machine for the price - I recognize it's existence (yes, in public!). There is some good software coming out for it (most from England I believe), and I hope it does well in it's market niche. Please don't compare it to the Amiga, the two are wholly different beasts, save for the fact that both have a 68000 and both can do some nice graphics (we are treading on thin lines here). I sincerely hope this is my last message posted to net.micro.atari - I hope everyone will start concentrating on making some really constructive contributions to their own newsgroups *soon* ! Eric -- ARPA: LAVITSKY@RUTGERS or LAVITSKY@RED.RUTGERS.EDU UUCP: ...{harvard,seismo,ut-sally,sri-iu,ihnp4}!topaz!eric BIX: lavitsky SNAIL: 16 Oak St., Flr 2 New Brunswick, NJ 08901