From: Bolt@cup.portal.com (Eric J Rainbolt)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject: HEIDI'S DECISION. Was: Oh My God, help my friend not buy an IBM
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 92 20:46:04 PST
Organization: The Portal System (TM)

To whom it may concern,
 
It was SO COOL to read ALL your responses.  I was just loggin on to expose
Heidi to the wonders of the internet, and I happened accross my article
posted there.  I had NO IDEA that I started this big controversy!!!
 
Heidi is still undecided to this day.  I let her scan for hours
through ALL the postings you guys put up, and it might seem like we have
draw.  At first I was biased to my Amiga, and I didn't let her
see both sides of the coin.  It was great to let her scan through
all the postings at will.  I think she will feel more comfortable
about her decision.
 
One thing that was obvious not only to me, but Heidi as well, was
the fact that the IBM proponents seemed to lack a great deal of
knowledge about Amiga systems in general.  I remember reading one
article where an IBM user says the Amiga has a serious lack of multi-
media software.  NOT!  All I had to do was show her a single copy of
AmigaWorld to defend it.
 
The Amiga users, and supporters, on the other hand, seemed to display first
hand knowledge of the many IBM compatible systems, including the
latest hardware to a great degree.  I guess because there are SO MANY IBM's
littered through the world, that it not uncommon for many computer
experts to be required to operate one.  True or not?
 
I think that most influenced how she read the various postings...
 
Something I noticed is that the many IBM people are very bent on discussing
speed.  It almost seems they can't describe a system without specifying
or just plain bragging about its speed.  I looked at a "Computer Shopper"
magazine and confirmed my suspicions.  Every ad loudly proclaimed the
speed of the CPU.  Well, my Amiga five hundred is no hott-rod
by today's standards, but I am still VERY SATISFIED with it right now.
If I had the money, I would get an A3000 or A4000, but right now
I have a system I bought for under $700.00, and wouldn't trade it
for $2000.00 worth of IBM equipment.
 
I also have no respect for IBM's original marketing tactics.  ( Look how
well IBM is doing nowadays. )  I'm just glad they are paying for it.
 
I saw a .sig that summed up some of my feelings as an Amiga user.
 
"IF IBM and Mac still remain the standard in the future, SkyNet will
never be built." - Author unknown.
 
Back to Heidi:
 
She is very impressed with my Amiga 500, and although it is no fully
decked out 486 with an assortment of expansion and graphic cards, she
saw how the Amiga is such a "CREATIVE" computer, and noticed how much
I enjoy using it.  (  Plug:  Escpecially the PORTAL (c) online communication
system with its incredible AmigaZone! { write me or harv@cup.portal.com
more information } ).  I'm downloading ASpice through my internet hookup
tonight so Heidi can see it tomorrow.  BTW, tell Harv I reffered you because
I get 5 dollars credit towards my account if you ever sign up.
 
Anyways, I don't know which road she will take, I'm leaving it totally
up to her and your insights from your postings.  She is going to make
up her mind this week.  By then it would be too late for her to easily
cancel her 33Mhz Gateway clone.
 
Something else affecting her decision is the fact that two of my
friends bought clones, and they have had to service their "motherboards"
several times with much frustration.  "CMF-Catastrophic Motherboard Failure."
was one way, Steve, my friend called it.  My friend, Eric, is ready
to file a law-suit against Midwest Microsystems (c) for their
shoddy computer system(s) they sold him.  Eric has, or is that "had",
a 33Mhz 386.
 
I am a diehard Amiga lover, and until the next great revolution in
computers comes about, I will stick right by Agnus, Paula, and Gary.
But I will always keep my Amiga for the great novelty of it...
 
EJR
 
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy