CompuServe Thread

#WSJ-PC of future-Not Amy

2 messages in this thread
#56575From: Gabe J. FederJul 10, 1989 1:24 PM
General interest to ALL: In the last month or so, a couple of articles have appeared in the Wall Street Journal concerning the future of computing. Generally speaking, they have discussed Video as a key element in the information processing needs of the future. In neither of the two articles that I have seen, has there been any mention of the Amiga as the machine of tomorrow today (gaaak, what a cliche, but we all know it IS true!). The first article discussed how a future historian studying late 20th century communications might take snippets from the movie "Broadcast News", clips from an annual meeting from Fujitsu Corp. a multicolor chart of AT&Ts stock price and market share, the Talking Heads' Speaking in Tongues album, and the very article itself, and merge them into an hour-long presentation along with his own speculations and written commentary. Clearly the computer of the future that can handle much (if not all) of this today, is the Amiga! The second article discusses the future of Video in PCs along with either CD-Interactive or Digital Video Interactive (DVI) to present simulations for games, training programs, education, and Hypermedia-like access to references and to Music. Examples given include efforts to translate Games like Sargon Chess, Clue (based on the board game version), Interactive Golf and Rocket Ranger. Children's programs including Bible stories, Musical Theatre, and A visit to Sesame street. References including Encyclopedias and Museum Exhibits. Now, correct me if I am wrong, folks, but hasn't some of this been done already on the Amiga? I mean, Rocket Ranger?!?!!! I have that one at home. Museums? Commodore is a sponsor of and has supplied Amigas for a presentation of the Smithsonian on the constitution, I believe it is. Point is, I think this guy is about due for a letter-writing campaign educating him about the Amiga. Opinions? –Gabe
#56649From: steven a. wartofskyJul 10, 1989 10:14 PM
Gabe, are letter-writing campaigns going to keep the Amiga afloat? Seems to me most major journals like WSJ are prepped to avoid even considering alternate computer systems; particularly one as "subversive" as the Amiga (just think, you can have a CLI *and* a mouse-driven icon interface; how dare they?!). Fact is, the American appetite has gone suburbia again, we'll be lucky if people don't start putting fig leaves back on all the statues again within the next three years. The IBM is like a Chevy Nova; there are *hundreds* of other cars much classier, better performing, more quality for the price, more reliability for the price, etc. But people are going to go for the Nova year in and year out, because it's a Chevy. For awhile there back there, people in this country got *a little* smarter; but that was beaten out of us by too many Reagan years followed by the boredom of Bush-land. I guess IBM's got it all and we might as well give up and roll up the carpets. sw