Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!zephyr.ens.tek.com!uw-beaver!ubc-cs!alberta!myrias!mj
From: mj@myrias.com (Michal Jaegermann)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Becoming an official Atari Developer
Message-ID: <635556517.22235@myrias.com>
Date: 20 Feb 90 23:28:36 GMT
Organization: Myrias Research, Edmonton
Lines: 60

Please note that attached note is posted on behalf of Johann Ruegg
from Sozobon Ltd.  I can only add to it that developers situation
seems to be much clearer in U.S. than in other countries, like
Canada.  Long time ago I paid my $300. I do not complain. I got my
standard package with Alcyon C and later some updates and MadMac.  But
otherwise, most of the time Atari Canada simply pretended that I do
not exist.  Sometimes what I explicitely requested something I got it
(S.A.L.A.D.); sometimes I did not (anything on Mega).  But now will be
close to two years, I guess, when it was the last time when I heard
something from them.  I guess that it would be easier if I would live
in a Toronto area, but Canada is a quite sizeable country, you know.
   Michal Jaegermann
   mj@myrias.COM
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  cut here >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

There has been some discussion about Atari's developer's program
recently.  The problem for Atari seems to be a major one.  I can
see why it is still being refined.

Sozobon Ltd. would certainly like to remain "official".  It seems we
will probably get in under the grandfather provision (unless that changes).
But consider the alternatives:

	1) Does Sozobon C qualify since it is used by at least 10,000
	ST owners worldwide (the number is just a guess).

	2) Does Sozobon C qualify since it has been reviewed by ST World?

	3) Does Sozobon C qualify since it is the basis for a series on
	C programming being published in a German magazine.

  or 	4) Does Sozobon C NOT qualify simply because it is FREE.

If we could get discounts on a TT, we MAY feel like coming out with a
version of the compiler that supports the 68030 instruction set better.
If not, we probably cannot afford to do this.

Perhaps we should make the next version Shareware instead of Freeware so
that we can be "offical" developers???

Or would someone like to volunteer to publish the Sozobon debugger
I am working on "Commercially"??

Note that Sozobon Ltd is a real company, although our gross revenues for
1989 were something like $300.

I am not trying to suggest that Atari should abandon its developer's program.
I just think they are going to have to think about it very carefully.
Before, they were just selling documentation and a compiler for $300.
When you add the possiblity of hardware discounts, the picture becomes
a lot cloudier.  Anyone seriously considering buying a TT would gladly
pay $250 to get a $1000 discount (or whatever it will be).

On the other hand, Apple got itself in trouble by making all potential
developers submit a detailed proposal of their product.  If they didn't
like what you were making, you didn't get in.

	Johann Ruegg
	Sozobon Ltd
	uunet!dunike!wldrdg!hans