Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!ucsd!rutgers!iuvax!franco
From: franco@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Rumblings
Message-ID: <36500044@iuvax>
Date: 30 Mar 88 03:06:00 GMT
Organization: Indiana University CSCI, Bloomington
Lines: 49
Nf-ID: #N:iuvax:36500044:000:2604
Nf-From: iuvax.cs.indiana.edu!franco    Mar 29 22:06:00 1988


Alot of people have been critical of the ST and MEGA computers recently.
They say these computers have no future.  The Amiga people say the Amiga
outclasses these machines.  I must disagree with both groups.  The reasons
are:

	1.  The ST user community is fantastic.  There are many, many
            shall I say UNIX types that own and develop on an ST.  The
            result is wonderful stuff like the gulam shell, all the great
            unix-like utilities, zmodem software (zmdm), the TeX previewer
            and lots more.  All this stuff has improved my productivity 
            quite a bit.  If the commercial stuff is lacking for the ST
            I haven't even noticed.  I use virtually no commercial ST stuff
            except for compilers/interpreters and word processors.

        2.  The ST is a great terminal.  Since about 90% of my computer
            time is terminal time this is a very important attribute to
            me.  I know of no other small computer that comes close to the
            ST in performance in this category (mono monitor only).

        3.  The ST does a fine emulation of the mac (although not the 
            macII).  The magic sac is a phenominal product.  I have HFS
            on finder 5.4 with system 3.2 or 4.2.  Almost nothing doesn't
            run.  Some things run better on the MacTari.  Who cares if
            SCHEME is not available for the ST - I just switch on the
            MacTari and pop in MacScheme (and its faster! with 30% more
            screen area than the mac!).

        4.  The ST does a reasonable emulation of the IBM-PC.  PC-Ditto
            is too slow for some applications but is adequate for most.
            Who cares if DBASE III is not available for the Atari - I just
            switch on PC-ATARI and pop in DBASE III.

        5.  The ST can also emulate CP/M, the Atari 800, and the Apple II.
            But who cares?

        6.  The ST has just the right complexity for those interested in
            learning about modern computers.  I have certainly learned an
            awful lot from my machine.

Now, I realize that I am supposed to be joining the bandwagon to stomp on 
Atari but there is some force from within that prevents me from doing this.
Even after over 2 years of ownership, I still find the ST exciting both as
an educational tool and a medium for doing useful work.  If I needed a
small computer (not talking about a workstation) this minute I would be 
compelled to choose the Atari ST or MEGA.

I don't know.  Maybe I'm just different.

franco@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu