Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!portal!cup.portal.com!Thomas_E_Zerucha
From: Thomas_E_Zerucha@cup.portal.com
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Atari no-support?
Message-ID: <3493@cup.portal.com>
Date: 26 Feb 88 00:49:04 GMT
References: <192@umn-d-ub.D.UMN.EDU> <864@usl-pc.UUCP> <1003@its63b.ed.ac.uk> <3334@watcgl.waterloo.edu> <318@nunki.usc.edu>
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
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Flame on:
   I do have problems with Atari's support, or lack thereof.  They aren't
really advertising, and although they are at capacity, and a big hit in
Europe, no one is going to hear about MY software unless I make a big
effort myself to promote it.  They recently did a MIDI ad and mentioned
several companies and products - what about basic stuff?
   I have found a wonderful place to get my ST and software from, who
know their stuff and have a good selection - and they can't sell the Megas
because of Atari's policy.  Atari was almost the computer for the rest of
the rest of us - but they are becoming Mac like in their stuffiness.
Flame off:
   Atari is better in some ways - I could as an independent get the devkit
for $300 - they don't require a financial sheet before you can get something
from them.  In terms of SOME technical support, they are better than most.
   The ST is a very nice machine to work on because they did a lot of good
design up front.  I don't have to coax the ST to get something to work, it
is fairly simple to do most things.
Flame on:
   Are they going to really support the ST, or drop it in favor of the Abaq
and the 68030 Unix Box.  The Mac has been upgraded, but still maintains
compatibility - will the ST?
   Since the ST is dependent on third party software - as are most computers
Atari should do something more to help us market the software - if in no
other way, at least to advertise the capability of some of the more major
packages.  Most people don't realize the ST can multitask (with RTX), has
professional WP programs and data bases, runs software from other computers,
and does many other things.  But I wouldn't know it if I didn't do all the
work to find these things - except for a few major packages.  Most people
can name more games than utility programs for the ST.  If someone ported
hypercard and improved it on the ST, Atari would probabaly say, "that's nice,
but we are too busy with other things to bother".
   They make the hardware, but we make it useful.