Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!mailrus!nrl-cmf!ukma!psuvm.bitnet!tuccvm!ncsuvm.bitnet!netoprhm
From: NETOPRHM@NCSUVM.BITNET (Hal Meeks)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: magic sac (write!)
Message-ID: <319NETOPRHM@NCSUVM>
Date: 8 Mar 88 03:54:40 GMT
References: <2782@gryphon.CTS.COM> <494@lakesys.UUCP>
Organization: North Carolina State University - Computing Center
Lines: 36

A continuation...
  I sent out a letter today to Data Pacific. Thanx to whoever posted
it. I recommend anyone who has an interest in this product do likewise.

Please, no speculation! Let's deal in facts.
1. Mac 64k roms are still available. You can get them either by
   buying them outright, or buying a 128k Mac motherboard.
   Pre-owned Electronics is selling both. 64k roms - $39.00
   128k motherboard - $140.00 (I think). There are also a lot
   of motherboards floating around in the "hacker's market".
2. Magic Sac will not work with cloned roms. I don't know why,
   but I understand why. It allows them to sell magic sac as
   an "enhancement" for the Mac. Endorsing the copying of roms
   is a real good way to end up in court, and Apple has really
   good lawyers. They could easily kill a small company like
   Data Pacific with the cost of litigation alone.
3. I don't think there is a conspiracy afoot to keep the Amiga
   down. Apple really has little to lose by letting the Amiga
   emulate a 512k Mac; the better software now available for the
   Macintosh prefers the 128k rom set. The 64k set is quickly
   becoming obsolete.

I know that David Small (the prime mover behind Magic Sac) occasionally
logs onto The Well. Userid is dsmall, if someone wants to leave him
a note. I encourage people to do as I have done; send a short note
saying "I would buy it if it was available". Don't request literature
if you don't need it. Just encourage them to re-think releasing an
Amiga version. This is a small company, that sells a very slick
product. They don't have major dollars to throw around.

The urgency with which I need a mac emulator has died somewhat. Hypercard?
Has anyone looked at Microfiche Filer recently? It does a lot of the
same things, in more colors. Drawing programs? enough said. Word processors?
I am still looking. Haven't found anything yet that stacks up to Word 3.01
(or Fullwrite Professional, if they can kill the bugs). But I have faith.

--hal