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From: ins_adjb@jhunix.UUCP (Daniel Jay Barrett)
Newsgroups: rec.music.synth,comp.sys.amiga,comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Need Comparative Info on AMIGA vs. MAC+ for use in a MIDI system
Message-ID: <4315@jhunix.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 22-Jan-87 13:49:32 EST
Article-I.D.: jhunix.4315
Posted: Thu Jan 22 13:49:32 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 22-Jan-87 21:47:08 EST
References: <327@atux01.UUCP>
Reply-To: ins_adjb@jhunix.UUCP (Daniel Jay Barrett)
Organization: Johns Hopkins Univ. Computing Ctr.
Lines: 59
Keywords: MIDI, music software, costs, pros and cons
Xref: mnetor rec.music.synth:197 comp.sys.amiga:1606 comp.sys.mac:899


	I am in the exact same position as you are:  considering both
the Amiga and the Mac+.  Here is what I have discovered.

COST:
	The same.  I can get a Mac+ and Imagewriter for $1695, and
a 512K Amiga with printer for the same price.

GRAPHICS:
	The Amiga wins.  4096 colors, the Deluxe Paint program, and
ease of animation are much better than the Mac+ features.

EASE OF USE:
	Mac+ wins, with a qualification.  The Mac interface is trivial
to learn.  The Amiga's, with its 2-button mouse, is slightly more
complicated.  However, the Amiga gives you a second user interface
(a command-line interface, like the [yecch] IBM does), so you have
a choice unavailable on the Mac.  I am sure that with practice,
all these computer interfaces are fine to use.

MUSIC SOFTWARE:
	The Mac+ has better software available, including:

	Notation:		PROFESSIONAL COMPOSER
	Sequencer:		PERFORMER
	Sample editing:		SOUND DESIGNER
	Additive Synthesis: 	SOFTSYNTH

	Realize that these packages all cost between $200-$500.
For the Amiga, there are a few sequencers (SOUNDSCAPE, TEXTURE),
a few sampler packages, notation (DELUXE MUSIC CONSTRUCTION SET),
and so on, but the software is not as polished as the Mac software
is (in my opinion).  No wonder -- the Amiga is a newer machine!
If you plan to "roll your own" software (as I do), I suspect you
will find the Amiga easier to program.  (No flames about this,
please!!  I based that sentence on numerous talks with both Mac
and Amiga programmers.  If you want more justification than that,
send me e-mail.)

COMPUTER ITSELF:
	The Amiga is multi-tasking, and the Mac is not.  For me,
this feature is all the difference in the world.  This means you
can run several programs simultaneously.  (For more details, send
me e-mail.)

CONCLUSION:
	If you are a relative computer novice, the Mac is for you.
If you want lots of great software right now, the Mac is for you.
If you plan to write your own software, the Amiga is for you.
If you plan to do graphics-intensive work, the Amiga is for you.

	Realize that these are just my opinions!  I don't want to start
a Mac-Amiga war.  Both computers are fantastic machines (I use a Mac+
and an IBM PC regularly at the Peabody Computer Music Studio), and I would
be happy to own either one.  That's why I am having such a tough choice
between these 2 machines.
-- 
  -- Dan Barrett	ins_adjb@jhunix.UUCP
			barrett@hopkins-eecs-bravo.arpa