CompuServe Messages

Unix, while fine for the VERY small group of people who use it, in it's personae as IDRIS or plain vanilla, will be all but useless to the cadre of people who _Currently_ own the ST. None of their current software will run under it; actually, it'll require they dump the system. The conception isn't the issue; The fact will be that the machine will be starting "fresh" from the applications program point of view. I can just see you telling Joe Atari, no, you can't use that software; sorry, it don't do windows. Or YOUR windows. The Abaq system? High End workstation? nope. They can't possibly leapfrog the Amiga without a superior hardware/software system – they don't have the hardware, and applying a NEW software system that obsoletes (read, makes useless under the auspices of) the original software base will put the machine in the unenviable position of a brand new entry into the market. No prize there. NetWorking? Here we go again; incompatible with EVERYTHING that is currently available, we start at square one. Now…. in stark contrast to this is the AMiga, which is at the middle of year three in it's software curve; We ALREADY have a COMPATIBLE network system (Ameristar, for one – Ethernet? I dunno) We ALREADY have multitasking, we ALREADY have all the hardware to run all this stuff on; Should CBM have the foresight to provide us with a MMU, it can go in the system and we'll never have to know about it, unless we're microsoft (snicker) or EA (Snicker some more). We ALREADY and STILL!!! have the MOST powerful ->>> combination <<< – of hardware of any micro out there; granted a 386 or 020 machine has more compute-power, raw, but WE have a reeeaaallly nice blitter engine, drop-in compatible 020 (and 030!) capability without changing a THING in the software, Good graphics, etc. We're all set, considering. The BEST that Atari or IBM can do is start now, today, from scratch, with brand new software, talk their users into it, talk their developers into it, keep it cheap so it can compete with the 500, and hope that in the 2.5 years it'll take them to get where the amiga is now, the amiga stands still. –Ben– (Chortle!)