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From: oyster@uwmacc.UUCP (Vicarious Oyster)
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: Re: ATARI 520ST
Message-ID: <98@uwmacc.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 30-Jul-86 10:25:51 EDT
Article-I.D.: uwmacc.98
Posted: Wed Jul 30 10:25:51 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 31-Jul-86 02:07:19 EDT
References: <2552@brl-smoke.ARPA>
Reply-To: oyster@uwmacc.UUCP (Vicarious Oyster)
Organization: UWisconsin-Madison Academic Comp Center
Lines: 49

In article <2552@brl-smoke.ARPA> kushnier@nadc.arpa writes:
>
>As a perspective 520ST buyer, I was interested in the comments made by Jack
>Powell in the new STart Magazine concerning the usefulness of current ST
>software. In his article "Practical Software For The Non Developer", Mr.
>Powell paints quite a dismal picture of what is out there.  I have used a 
>Macintosh and know the kind of quality software that is available for that 
>machine.  Although everyone talks about the great potential of the 520 and
>1040, I cannot help feeling wary about future software development for these
>machines.  Can someone restore my confidence??
>
   That depends on what you want and when you want it.  If you want (or need)
a machine that can immediately be attached to a laser printer and generate
reems of good quality text in many fonts, etc., spend the bucks for a Mac.
If, on the other hand, you want a machine with a non-proprietary windowing
and graphics system which you can use as a hobby machine until such time as
the software you want comes out (or if you want to program yourself), get the
ST.  There are other considerations, of course, such as desire for color, a
tube you can read without a magnifying glass, or the fact that an ST (mono)
costs only $495, but a good, inexpensive computer that you can't use isn't a
good deal.  My opinion is that the ST is vastly superior as a programmer's
machine.  On the other hand, the non-programmer types around here get
positively saccharine-sweet when swooning over their Macs ("It's a *cute*
little machine!").  Then again, it wasn't their money that put a Mac on their
desk (and *I* have the dreaded XT beneath my fingertips right now).
   As for future availability of ST software, take a look at the back
cover of that STart magazine, at what just one company has done and is doing.
Batteries Included either has or will have applications which cover most (if
not all) of what the non-hobbyist wants a computer for, and almost all of it
is available today.  Also in STart (as well as in Antic, the parent magazine),
you'll find their ST catalog, featuring low-priced software from all over the
world (well, at least from the US, Great Britain, and West Germany :-), such
as a 3D, object-based, color graphics generation program. And keep in mind
that the magazine was published in April, which means that with the standard
3-month lead time, that article was accurate only as recently as January.
Public domain titles have already shown great promise, from a GEM-based
Kermit, to Bruce Wampler's TVX/Emacs/vi editors, to a great many small but
useful utilities which you can hack to your heart's content.
   Soooooo, was that what you were looking for?
--

 - Joel Plutchak
   uucp: {allegra,ihnp4,seismo}!uwvax!uwmacc!oyster
   ARPA: uwvax!uwmacc!oyster@rsch.wisc.edu

 "E-yoe-oe, e-yoe-oe, e-yoe-oe, e-yoe-oe, e-yoe-oe, e-yoe-oe, e-yoe-oe,
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                                           - Sting