Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!tektronix!tekgen!tekigm2!phils
From: phils@tekigm2.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: A2000 price rise: A defense
Message-ID: <1827@tekigm2.TEK.COM>
Date: Tue, 2-Jun-87 12:16:05 EDT
Article-I.D.: tekigm2.1827
Posted: Tue Jun  2 12:16:05 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 5-Jun-87 01:27:04 EDT
References: <1310@cc5.bbn.com.BBN.COM> <12310@topaz.rutgers.edu> <748@omepd>
Reply-To: phils@tekigm2.UUCP (Philip E Staub)
Distribution: world
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton, OR.
Lines: 47

In article <748@omepd> hah@isum.UUCP (Hans Hansen) writes:
[ miscellaneous stuff about PeeCee software ports to the Amiga ]
>The PR from just having these developed should be worth 2 to 10 times what
>they would cost and it would allow you to compete in the REAL business
                                                          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>world where you should have targeted the Amiga in the first place.  I feel
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>that you should use a percent of your advertising budget to secure the
>development of items 1-3.

[enter righteous indignation mode]

NO NO NO! I have been a computer hobbyist since the days before business
applications were the only support you could get for a personal computer.
(In those days, I referred to myself as a "hacker", though I hesitate to do
so now, in light of the negative connotations involved. I have no interest
in the types of activity usually associated with hacking: attempting to
break copy protection schemes (though I do *hate* copy protected software),
attempting to find security holes in operating systems, unauthorized access
of password-protected computers, etc.)

Since then, I have watched the nearly total stagnation of software and 
hardware targeted at people who know what they are doing. "Who wants a
compiler when you can have a database manager?" "Who wants a text editor
when you can have a word processor?" "Who wants a debugger?" "Who really
cares what goes on inside the machine?" "Who cares how hopelessly
ridiculous it is to try to program a machine in assembly language when you
can program it in a high-level language instead?"

In case you hadn't guessed, I answer all of those questions with "ME". The
Amiga is the *only* machine available today which even comes close to
interesting me (and that I can afford). Everything else is a PeeCee clone,
a box that only a business man could love, or a game (only) box. I am
grateful to have the opportunity to pursue my interests with the Amiga
without having the "User Friendly" (oh, how I hate that term) interface get
in my way and slow me down.

The Amiga fills a niche. I'm glad it wasn't targeted at the business world. 
If it were, I could buy a PeeCee clone and be done with it. As it is, I can
still enjoy a hobby which I had almost written off.

[exit righteous indignation mode]
-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Phil Staub              tektronix!tekigm2!phils    (206) 253-5634
Tektronix, Inc., ISI Engineering
P.O.Box 3500, M/S C1-904, Vancouver, Washington  98668