Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!plx!dlb!auspyr!imagen!atari!neil
From: neil@atari.UUCP (Neil Harris)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Subject: Re: Critcism or Embarassment,ATARI corp?
Message-ID: <863@atari.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 5-Oct-87 13:50:24 EDT
Article-I.D.: atari.863
Posted: Mon Oct  5 13:50:24 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 10-Oct-87 08:29:27 EDT
References: <8710012029.AA22072@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Organization: Atari Corp/Mktg
Lines: 33

In article <8710012029.AA22072@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>, DFLINT02@ULKYVX.BITNET writes:

> Answer this question why did a ATARI try to block the release
> of the PD 8-bit emulator for the ST????? Don't quote Propietary OS.

The answer is easy.  We didn't.  Contrary to popular rumor/reports, Darek's
biggest problem when getting ready to release the emulator was getting
through to the right person here.  He ended up with myself and Richard Frick.
We took the story to Sam Tramiel, President of Atari Corp.  The three of us
agreed that we had no problem allowing the release of the emulator, but in
return for this we wanted Darek to release his source code as public domain.
The emulator as it currently exists is too slow to be useful, not to mention
the lack of support for important features like player/missile graphics.

At any rate, Darek was reluctant to do this at first.  He seemed to want
sole credit for the emulator.  The impasse was resolved on GEnie, in a
series of messages between Darek and myself with audience participation.
Then Darek asked for permission to sell an article on the emulator to an ST
magazine so he could make a little money for the project.  This was granted.
The emulator was recently published in ST-Log magazine (September issue) and
is available for download on GEnie and other places.

These days, Darek is getting along with Atari a little better.  I think he's
not a bad negotiator -- he was stirring up public sympathy for himself in
order to get what he wanted from us.  On the other hand, we got the source
code released, so we're happy too.  Let's hope that the project ends up
resulting in an emulator that does what we all want it to do.

-- 
--->Neil Harris, Director of Marketing Communications, Atari Corporation
UUCP: ...{hoptoad, lll-lcc, pyramid, imagen, sun}!atari!neil
GEnie: NHARRIS/ WELL: neil / BIX: neilharris / Delphi: NEILHARRIS
CIS: 70007,1135 / Atari BBS 408-745-5308 / Usually the OFFICIAL Atari opinion