Path: utzoo!utgpu!tmsoft!dptcdc!dpmizar!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!gatech!purdue!decwrl!sun!imagen!atari!portal!cup.portal.com!Sullivan
From: Sullivan@cup.portal.com (kevin lee smathers)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Software Development And Piracy (somewhat unlengthy reply)
Message-ID: <12362@cup.portal.com>
Date: 9 Dec 88 05:17:46 GMT
References: <5866@louie.udel.EDU>
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Lines: 79

> 
> Let me get back to the start when the Amiga just appeared on the market
> and every C64-Kid in Germany dreamed about the new machines...

Incredible.  A new charity.  Send Dos-less machines to the poor and downtrodden
german cracking youths.

> frustration came when the graphics were SOO SLOW when AmigaBasic was used
> and it was SO AWFULLY COMPLICATED opening a window and reading the mouse
> position. So something like "F*CK the OS" and "The Amiga sure is fast
> if only this stupid grapics library weren't in the way!" was debated

Of course the graphics library doesn't have to be used, and doesn't have to
be disabled to write your own routines.  As I understand you though, you 
were saying that you (generic "you") didn't *try* to use the libraries.
'They were too complex', neh?  

> boots at once from disk and loads in 15seconds over a game that needs
> 1 Meg, makes your drive seek endlessly between track 40 and track 79 and
> makes you sleepy while you play. Games are for everybody. Not just for
> professionals who have a 80Meg harddisk, 4 Megabytes of RAM and a

There is a long way between a minimum configuration A1000 (128k?) and what
is in typical use today.  But then you've already noticed the fallacy your-
self.  Such software will not only work in a minimum configuration machine
but also ONLY IN A MINIMUM CONFIGURATION.  Do you really want all of your
old code to have to be rewritten when 68020's do come down to 10DM?  Is it
worthwhile to save 10k to run in 512k knowing that the program will break
when the enhanced chip set comes out, and that new machines are being sold
which are configured to have a baseline 1 megabyte of memory.  After 
spending $2000 on my amiga, do you really thing that I won't spend another
$400 for a 2 meg memory card?  ...

> 68030 acceleration board got from their organization. Most of you active
> networkers are obviously that type! Take time to think about all those
> kids. It's easier to turn your machine on and insert the game disk than

I am a pure recreational Amiga user.  After a day at work on the g'damn I*M's
(big ones, not PeeCees)  I don't want to look at work.  So I chose my Amiga.
I use it to:

1. Teleconferenc
2. Program recreationally 
3. Play with ray-tracing et al.
4. Play games while waiting for the above 3 to process.

I Don't Care whether or not the poor german kids who wrote the game have
enough money to buy more than 512k RAM.  I *do* and I want to use it.  I
don't care if 1, 2 and 3 are slowed down by 4, but disabling them entirely
is unallowable.  I guess my new rule of thumb is "don't buy games from 
Germany."

> should never mix serious software with arcade games. Do you think
> Arcade machines multitask? (Oh great, I'll put this in my .signature!)

Write all of the machine language routines you like.  Make your games as
fast as possible.  Ignore the libraries, and just use the hardware yourself.
Except that this requires considerable redevelopment for simple hardware
routines it is acceptable.  Of course your software will never benefit from
upgrades to the roms, or the operating system, but...

...do all of this legally, within the OS.  The Amiga OS makes extensive 
provisions for custom copper lists, and other user hacks.

>   !^!      -Martin (BRENNER_M@DULRUU51.BITNET)  Uni Ulm/F.R.Germany   \X/AMIGA



                           -Sullivan Segall
_____________________________________________________________

/V\  Sully set the example: to fly without moving.  We shall
 '   learn to soar on wings of thought. And the student will
     surpass the teacher.
To Quote the immortal Socrates: "I drank what?" -Sullivan
_____________________________________________________________

Mail to: ...sun!portal!cup.portal.com!Sullivan or
         Sullivan@cup.portal.com