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From: pes@ux63.bath.ac.uk (Smee)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st,comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Does this mean we'll have to be nice to each other?
Message-ID: <2063@bath63.ux63.bath.ac.uk>
Date: 7 Jan 88 15:13:11 GMT
Reply-To: pes@ux63.bath.ac.uk (Smee)
Organization: AUCC c/o University of Bath
Lines: 24


According to a blurb in the computer section of today's Gruaniad newspaper,
Argonaut say they will be producing Starglider II to be 'disk-level
compatible' between the Atari ST and the Commodore Amiga.  That is, you
take the disk, stuff it into whichever of the two machines you prefer, and
fire it up.  It loads, has a look around, works out which of the two machine
types it has been turned loose onto, and does the right thing.  They say
they hope to interest other software manufacturers in the idea.  (And why
not?  Must offer an incredible savings to the manufacturers and to the
retailers, if they can cater for two machine ranges with one box.)

The writer goes on to hypothesize that the next obvious step is an object-
compatible third-party operating system for both machines.  I shall have to
stare at my navel for a bit, and wonder whether it could be sensibly done in
a manner which would let you get at the stronger points of whichever machine
you are on, rather than at a lowest common denominator level -- which I don't
think would be doing anyone any favours.  Right off, without thinking much
about it, I wonder whether we could actually learn to talk together reasonably
enough for it to take off. :-)

(Note, the smiley applies only to the sentence which it immediately follows.
The rest of this posting is serious.)

Happy New Year...