Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!portal!cup.portal.com!Bob_BobR_Retelle
From: Bob_BobR_Retelle@cup.portal.com
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: FLAMES and SUPPORT IN THE MINUS REALM
Message-ID: <25123@cup.portal.com>
Date: 17 Dec 89 06:49:27 GMT
References: <24958@cup.portal.com> <1882@atari.UUCP>
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Lines: 29

John Townsend answers my question:
 
>> If Atari has such a low opinion of the "end users" who buy their machines,
>> and can assume that 90% of them only want to run programs, not write them,
>> why has Atari traditionally supplied a   *programming language*   with the
>> computers..?
 
With a question:
 
>And there are manuals available for programming in ST BASIC available from
>Customer Relations and your local Atari Dealer. So, what's the problem?
 
Well, the problem is not manuals for ST BASIC... the problem is that KenB
has just told everone on the Net that they aren't worth Atari's time or
effort, since they aren't "professional programmers", and besides, Atari
knows they don't want to program their computers, only "use" them...
 
So why does Atari hand out a programming language, if they "know" that
no one wants to program their computers..?
 
I haven't seen a manual for the new version of ST BASIC, but the manual that
came with my original version of ST BASIC was actually quite complete and
well written...  and seemed to be aimed at encouraging the new computer
owner to learn to program his ST.
 
So why are we now told that only "professional" programmers are worthy of
effort on Atari's part..?
 
BobR