Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!rutgers!deimos!uxc!uxc.cso.uiuc.edu!uxg.cso.uiuc.edu!uxe.cso.uiuc.edu!jacobson From: jacobson@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st Subject: Seeking ST & ST MIDI info Message-ID: <45700007@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu> Date: 18 Dec 88 19:40:00 GMT Lines: 61 Nf-ID: #N:uxe.cso.uiuc.edu:45700007:000:3410 Nf-From: uxe.cso.uiuc.edu!jacobson Dec 18 13:40:00 1988 I have a friend who is looking for a computer to do MIDI work with. He is looking at either the ST or Amiga. Myself I have the Amiga, so I am not well versed on the ST but I do know of its strong history in the MIDI and Music area so I am recommending he at least look at it seriously. I have some concerns about the things I have read here over the net about apparent problems of company support, lagging sales and efforts in the US. I have read also those notes (and have heard elsewhere) of what looks like a large exodus of ST developers away from the machine. What I would like to know for the sake of my friend is more definate information about what the facts are concerning the lack of dealers (and support), whether the desertions by developers are as bad as some say, and so on. I am concerned if the notes and rumors I hear are at all true, then I should forwarn my friend of the "orphaning of the ST". Support in terms of developers and dealers is getting strong for the Amiga, but these notes I read here make me wonder about the ST. I know that the dealership support here in Champaign Urbana has been pretty absent (I believe the "dealer" is an ST enthusiast who sells "mailorder" stuff out of his home but I don't hear much about him). At the same time I remember early during the ST-Amiga Wars the rumors and iduendos about Commodores problems, potential demise, and the persistent myth about software lack that was hard to shake even once the software became abundant. So I want to make informed recommendations to my friend about his choice of a first computer, one hopefully that is in the market firmly in terms of dealer/company/developer support. So if the negative stuff I have read/heard is exaggerated I would like to hear so from you who know your ST and where it currently stands. I would appreciate email on what you know about the real facts on Atari Support, dealership problems (such as lack of), developer support (new software or if developers have largely abandoned the ST?). I don't want to make the mistake of taking what could be merely rumors/bad press to my friend as he decides on a computer. I like people to make informed decisions on computer choices- not colored by rumors, company propaganda, etc. Also if anyone of you out there have a list of ST music software, with descriptions of what it does I would like to get a email copy (if you have such in a file on your systems). I have given my friend several long lists of the daily growing Amiga music stuff, but I know that with the built in MIDI port, and the ST's initial lower price, many musicians went for it strongly and the software appears to be a little more mature for the ST. Any information on MIDI software for the ST would be much appreciated (lists, reviews, and the such). Thanks for your time in reading this, and for any information you can email me that I could give to my friend. I think both the ST and Amiga are the best computer choices out there, but I would like for more information on the negative things I have mentioned above in order to have a hopefully better informed perspective on what is really true. Rumors of the negative type tend to grow and get enlarged out of perspective, and I am wondering if this is the case for the ST. Russ Jacobson 615 E. Peabody Drive Illinois Geological Survey Champaign, IL 61820 217-244-2425 (office) 217-384-6983 (home)