Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!decwrl!sun!pitstop!sundc!seismo!uunet!portal!cup.portal.com!Thomas_E_Zerucha
From: Thomas_E_Zerucha@cup.portal.com
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Put up or shut up (was Re: Atari-bashing)
Message-ID: <13011@cup.portal.com>
Date: 28 Dec 88 23:35:43 GMT
References: <474@ur-cc.UUCP> <6847@spool.cs.wisc.edu> <910@hudson.acc.virginia.edu> <1537@plx.UUCP> <2167@nunki.usc.edu> <264@ultb.UUCP> <12835@cup.portal.com> <2216@nunki.usc.edu>
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
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I have to agree - it is a year of reconing for Atari.  They cannot go much
farther on the intertia of the 520STs, and even the Megas are more like a
"fat" 1040 than a really new computer.  Even if every other computer can
be upgraded with blitters (i.e. the 520STFM), it won't make too much
difference (the blitter chip is nice, but not essential).
   Commodore is not sitting still, and I suspect that if Atari does nothing,
I may trade in my ST by the end of '89 for something else, potentially an
Amiga.  Then there is Macintosh, and a lot of the faster clones are getting
cheaper.
   The portable (STacey?) will make a big difference and I hope they will
have versions of this as fully expanded as the Megas (i.e. 4 Megabytes,
with larger, fast disk drives, e.g. the 80 Meg quantum).  I don't think
there is any high powered portable out there in the price range this would
fall into (i.e. a Turbo AT portable with fat disk).  Then put a Spectre 128
on it and see what happens.  They also should increase the speed.
   Even more significant may be the 68030 box.  It seems like most of the
NeXT, but for a lot less money.  This opens up more markets where something
more powerful is needed (desired), but not generally affordable.
   Then they should continue improving the ST - First they should go to SIMMs
so a memory upgrade is swapping a small board.  Then they should allow 12 meg
ram space (with video and DMA).  16+ Mhz would be nice too.  And more colors
and resolution.  And an expansion bus.
   And they should do more with peripherals - the Laser Printer was a good
idea, now the CD should make other things easier.

   But if they continue to ignore the american market, they shoudl move their
headquarters to Europe.