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?/In defense of Atari
Message-ID: <3967@cup.portal.com>
Date: 19 Mar 88 16:05:54 GMT
References: <148leigh@byuvax.bitnet> <2064@phoenix.Princeton.EDU> <2783@druhi.ATT.COM>
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Lines: 24
XPortal-User-Id: 1.1001.3273


Remember that Atari didn't write GEM for the 68000, DRI did.  If you program
professionally you will realize the difficulty of simply picking up someone
elses code and trying to "fix all the little bugs".  If it is/was as simple
as you make out, why don't you write a patch that goes in the auto folder
and fixes all these bugs?
     I think Atari was delayed by DRI and figuring out who owned what and
who could modify what, etc.  They have been working on the various portions
of GEM for a while, but it required a rewrite (I disassembled GEMDOS, so I
know why it is taking time) to fix everything - and they want that to become
solid before they release it.
     One problem is that TOS isn't very bad.  If there bugs were severe (and
everyone has a version of the 40 folder patch or should), then they would
have to move.  Right now you have only minor annoyances.  From what I have hear
about the Mac and Amiga, some of their releases were much worse - so they
HAD to fix them.  The 11/85 ROMs are quite usable.
(before I get flamed - the Amiga is currently MORE stable than TOS, but they
have had major revisions.  The Mac is stable until they increment the system
or finder version and several things won't run until they refix it - How
many system/finder combinations will work with EVERY program?).
     It looks as if the next release of TOS will fix all the little complaints
you have and be very stable for a while.  I do wish they would add RTX right
in though.
     Atari isn't perfect - and perhaps TOS rewrite has been put off a little
too long, but that is not the major problem I have with Atari.