From: wallmann@backus.pu.informatik.th-darmstadt.de (Natuerlich!)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Convince me to stick with Atari.
Date: 12 Jan 1993 21:23:42 GMT
Organization: MSD software vault #9 @THD
NNTP-Posting-Host: backus.pu.informatik.th-darmstadt.de
Summary: this is long!

In article <106838@bu.edu> anneklin@acs.bu.edu (Patricia Anne) writes:
>In article <4q55wB1w165w@status.gen.nz> jonc@status.gen.nz (Jon Clarke) writes:
>>wallmann@backus.pu.informatik.th-darmstadt.de (Natuerlich!) writes:
>>
>>> In article <H.ea.o3KuEmskWp2@semprini.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca> cherborth@semprin
>>> >I'd like to hear some arguments convincing me to stay with a sinking
>>> >ship, Atari.
>>> Why doncha buy a nice Mac and **** off ? If you need convincing the Atari
>>> is wrong for you.
>>> 
>>> Nat!
>>> -- 
>> 
>> Well said Nat !
>
>GMAFB.
>
>Someone asks to be convinced to stay with Atari (and I know Chris, and
>I'm pretty sure that it was an honest request), and all you can do is
>say "Take off, we don't need you".  That says two things to me:
>
>1) There is nothing Atari's most rabid supporters can actually say in
>its favor.
I am amused to hear that I am a rabid supporter.

>[stuff deleted]
Actually I did not say "Take off, we don't need you"

I said, quoted from above:

>>> Why doncha buy a nice Mac and **** off ? If you need convincing the Atari
>>> is wrong for you.

Let's analyze this quote in a bit more detail...

0) We can see that there are actually TWO sentences, not just one.

1. 
a) It sez that the guy who asked for help should NOT buy an Atari, but
   buy a *nice* Macintosh computer. This clearly indicates, what I would be 
   advising a guy in the states, which is don't buy a ST.

b) "and **** off"  (since they are '*' and not '?' this needn't neccessary
   be a fourletter word (although it was meant to be))
   clearly sez, that I am really tired of reading this thread (and related
   threads) that fill up c.s.a.s for weeks now. If the guy wanted to make
   me happy he'd stop posting is boring ****.  (articles)

2) The second sentence has two possible meanings

a) If you still need to be convinced, I am telling you now "The Atari is wrong
   for you" (not intended, but not so bad actually (har), which amounts to
   emphasizing the previous sentence.

b) If you aren't convinced that the Atari is the right choice for you, than
   it isn't the right choice for you. (intended)

Which in 20 words or less, is exactly my opinion.

Nat!
[lengthy statement follows for clarification, for those who haven't got it
 yet]

I am still (maybe a few weeks still) at a university where I actually use 
daily, a HP-Workstation a Symbolics Workstation and a Sun Sparc 10 
workstation (and I am not writing "hello_world.c" on them either, so I don't 
know them just superficially), I am certain that I wouldn't trade my ST with 
the software I have for any of those, if I had to only choose one computer 
(I'd take the Sun anytime so as an additional one). 
I know the Mac from my ex-girlfriend, and the PCs from various friends, 
and whenever I work on them (as I did last time a weekend a few weeks ago 
trying to port my assembler using TC++) I wish I was back at the ST. As 
long as the PC runs MSDOS at all, I am staying away from it. The Mac isn't
so bad, it's not that I actually like the system, but it has its charm and
I could live with it.

Not that this isn't likely to change, as soon as I see something
on another machine, which I think is such a step ahead, that I need
to participate (like the step from the 800 to ST) I'll dive in head first.

Unfortunately there is NOTHING on the market yet, that fits the bill.
I sure won't buy a PC with a beta-test OS version, much less with a UNIX
clone. Even this Sun here doesn't run stable and the software is definetely 
not beta anymore! (I couldn't afford a color Sun anyway (sniff))

On the ST I have a wordprocessor, "Tempus Word", where I ain't missing 
anything, I have the software tools that I favor (Pure-C & Tempus)
and the programming environment (GULAM+unix tools), which I need.
Sure I could use a bit more speed and diskspace, but that's not enough
reason to junk the stuff I got (and am used to). The (projected) F040, if 
it comes out, is exactly the machine I am looking for.

Conclusion, I own an Atari I am not blind to see what the others offer
yet I still don't see anything I'd like/need to switch to, since I am 
absolutlely content with my setup. If on the other hand someone was NOT 
"convinced" that what he has fits what he needs, than there is no reason 
why one should NOW buy an Atari. When the Falcon line appears that of 
course changes.

Well maybe one reason, the TT could be cheap now.

Nat!
P.S. Again I have been suckered into a flamewar. Next (of my) flamestuff by 
     Email (promised). Replies, if you want them answered please by Email 
     too.
-- 
 -----   Email: wallmann@backus.pu.informatik.th-darmstadt.de  -----
               "Bang that bit that doesn't bang"   
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Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st