From: abs0@coos.dartmouth.edu (Kelvin Leung)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.hongkong
Subject: Re: Electronics/videogame stores in Hong Kong. (SUMMARY)
Keywords: HongKong has little exciting software engineering stuff...
Date: 28 Jul 92 21:39:26 GMT
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH

taoc@grad1.cis.upenn.edu (Chi-Chih Tao) writes:

>	That's also what I think.  To me, Hong Kongers are IBM-PC die-hards.
>	Many of my friends are engineers from TI, and they joke "Who need Mac?"

I could see why.  IBM clones are the most affordable computers in Hong Kong,
that's why people know so much about them.  Besides, you will get much
more "support" for IBM-clones in Hong Kong than any other computers.

>        I think the most stupid of all is the excessive hype about Chinese 
>        System software and i386/i486.  They think Chinese software are very
>        very high-tech (ACK!) and i486 is the fastest son of a gun on earth.

I think a lot of the Chinese programs are very well-done.  Too bad I 
don't have the machine to run them.

>	(If you see people who used to judge a computer's powerfulness by
>	 the clock rate, like 25MHz, 30MHz, etc., you can tell these people
>	 - who are everywhere in HK - don't know shit about modern computer
>	 architecture!)

well... I guess this is all relative, you know.  There will always be
someone who knows much more than we do.   Now... would we want people to call
us idiots because we don't know as much? :)

(teach them then! 8) 

>	May be they should look at what a SunSPARC, IBM RISC 6000 and a Silicon
>	Graphics can do!

A lot of people in Hong Kong knows about these machines.  In fact, some of
them know much more about (different kinds of) computers then many people in
the States.  

Want proof? 
How many people in the States have heard of a computer called Archimede (sp)?
(made by Acorn, I think)

I think it is the first affordable-RISC machines for home uses.  None
of my Americans friends have heard of it.  (and it was at least 3-4 years
old too).

BTW, you see lots of them in UK.  

In fact, Hong Kong was one of the first country to learn about
the Amiga (in 1985).  Why, you may ask.  It's because Commodore has
some factories in Hong Kong.    If one were to pay attention to computer
magazines in Hong Kong, one will know about those things.  

(Believe it or not, the Amiga was introduced to Hong Kong back in '85.  
 People didn't start noticing it till '88-89 though)

I still remember that Roctec (Rockwell?) showroom which showed an Amiga 1000
long time ago... (I was very impressed)

(PS: people in Hong Kong also knew about the NeXT and such computers--
     every major computer magazine had an article on them.)

so don't worry, Hong Kong is catching up.  8)

[stuff on how software privacy ruined software developing companies in HK 
 deleted]

actually, I think the rule is changing.  They just haven't been taught
about software privacy, you know.  People will learn... eventually.  

Don't give up yet.  Hong Kong's computer market is pretty advanced. 
(and is improving daily too!)

Yours Sincerely,
Kelvin
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