Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!bellcore!decvax!decwrl!amdcad!amdahl!sjl
From: sjl@amdahl.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: Re: Application availability on Mac, Atari ST, and Amiga
Message-ID: <3528@amdahl.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 9-Aug-86 23:17:59 EDT
Article-I.D.: amdahl.3528
Posted: Sat Aug  9 23:17:59 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 11-Aug-86 04:38:58 EDT
References: <2787@brl-smoke.ARPA> <864@usl.UUCP>
Reply-To: sjl@amdahl.UUCP (Steve Langdon)
Organization: Amdahl Corp, Advanced Systems Planning
Lines: 35
Keywords: Apple Atari Commodore Mac ST Amiga Applications
Summary: Please try and be specific about applications

I have seen a few responses to my article on this subject and have received
some mail.  So far the discussion looks quite constructive, but I would like
to try and encourage replies that contain specific references to *named*
applications.  I would also like concrete examples of the consistency (or
lack thereof) of the application interface on the Atari ST or Amiga.

In particular, I have seen several references to IFF as a data transfer
mechanism on the Amiga.  I am somewhat familiar with IFF and it seems useful.
However, I thought it had a role like SYLK or DIF (only more general).
Therefore it would not let me do MacDraw picture to MS Word type transfers.
The ability to easily mix text and graphics is probably *the* single most
important feature of my business use of the Mac.  I have 24 hour/7 day a week
access to what is arguably the best normal (ie. not big screen workstation) Unix
environment - UTS on a 5870.  For many uses the sheer speed of a 5870 makes
it better than a fast workstation even though you lose the big bit-mapped
screen.

The one thing which makes me use the Mac for many documents is the ability
to easily mix text and graphics.  I represent Amdahl in ANSI committees
that work on data communications standards, and the USA in the corresponding
ISO committees.  The documents I write *need* mixed text and graphics.
The first version of an ISO standard I edit was done using troff, with Mac
generated graphics inserted manually.  The next version was done on the Mac.
Interleaf might let me do this on Unix, but I would still have no easy way to
put graphics in a database in the way I can on the Mac.

Once again I would like to ask that people try and control their emotional
feelings about their favorite machine.  I like my Mac, but if the Atari ST
or Amiga deliver more for less, I will happily recommend one of them to my
friends.
-- 
Stephen J. Langdon                  ...!{ihnp4,cbosgd,hplabs,sun}!amdahl!sjl

[ The article above is not an official statement from any organization
  in the known universe. ]