Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject: Re: yet more on the AA chipset... -> OS Attitude Adjustment
From: robbins@brandonu.ca
Date: 20 Aug 92 23:06:22 CST
Organization: Brandon University, Brandon, Manitoba, Canada

In article <u894776.714313272@bruny>, u894776@bruny.cc.utas.edu.au (James McCoull) writes:

>Does anyone who reads .advocacy understand how games programs are written?
>Many come from UK, where the AtariST is chosen to be the initial platform for
>development - the developers do not have time to convert their programs from
>a lower level bios style system to AmigaOS, it makes no economic sense.
>The programs of course break on new amigas for the lamest reasons - not
>egocentric programming, but lack of adequate documentation - and sample code.
>The games programmers are there to make games, not to talk politely to the OS.

>IMHO it is easier for CBM to make the decision for them by putting in a BIOS
>rather than trying to train 1000+ amigaos ignorants.

>What would you prefer? games working on A3000 but without multitasking - or
>game not working on A3000 at all.
>Sure to have game on A3000 + multitasking is great... but it would be foolish
>to expect that from all programmers.

This is most reassuring to know.  I then assume it is completely reasonable
for anyone that writes games for UNIX or VAX/VMS to take over the system and
preclude the users from multitasking.  After all, what is good for one OS must
surely be good for another.

Certainly people expect certain things to break from release to release when
they tend to be written in a slip shod manner.  But if people are going to 
write programs for a machine then they can most often use the OS and work with 
it.  There can be reasons for not doing so, but more often than not, they are
excuses and if they are too lazy or incapable of dealing with the system and
software that their product is going to be based on, then they deserve to 
suffer from incompatibilities.  The only people who deserve any sympathy are 
the owners of the software - and they should put pressure on the offending
publishers to get their act together.  You'll never have 100% compliance but
neither does any other computer manufacturer.

The argument of not taking the time to change from a bios style to AmigaOS is
of the same logic why Amiga ports of PC software should have the PC text-based
interface.  Its easier, its quicker.  The idea is a bunch of crap of course,
because the use of a certain machine is to get access to ITS features - not to
have someone else's way of doing things - especially when its worse.  When you
use a machine, you use its OS, and so should its programs.  Lack of docs and
sample code plague virtually everyone.  You never have enough, but that does 
not mean you ship garbage out the door, because it will blow right back at you.
We struggled this past year in two major projects with exceptionally little
to work from - but because we are not ready to release our software - because
it isn't finished - because it hasn't been tested - because we are trying to 
make sure we are doing it right - it is taking a very long time.  Our associate
on the Mac has volumes of docs and still complains.  Similarly for our develop-
ment in Windows - you always have to fight to get things working.  If it was
so easy, computers would not be a special interest group.  

And all programming has a certain degree of egocentricity in it.  Its part of 
programming and games are full of it.  And making games, like all software, 
involves talking politely to the OS.  If you refuse to, then you are the one 
who is being ignorant.

And I want a game on an A3000 with multitasking.  It is not foolish but is a
legitimate request for a computer system.  I did not buy my Amiga to be a game
machine - if I wanted all games I could have saved several thousands of dollars
and bought Nintendo.  I wanted an Amiga for doing many neat things - all at 
once - and I get very annoyed when I can't.  There is no reason why I cannot
run my TCP/IP networking software to ftp something and a wordprocessor to print
something WHILE I PLAY GOLF.  That way I can at least goof off while something
productive is being done.  The Amiga is a computer system; treat it as such.
The Mac and Windows get respect and adherence to various standards they lay 
out.  Why does the Amiga interface and/or OS have to be different?  

I expect a lot from my computer and my software.  And if the new machines turn
out such that existing things are incompatible then we either accept the
advent of improved architectures and complain about the change or we can have
no new hardware/software and complain about the fact that nothing is improving.
Certainly I do not like having what I pay for becoming obsolete, but if it has
to, I would rather have something to look forward to - along the same archi-
tecture - rather than have to go to some other system that I didn't want in the
first place.  Certainly the Amiga has its faults - I can think of several.  And
Commodore has really done some stupid things. However, their tech team has 
given a solid effort and will hopefully continue to do so - and hopefully with
more encouragement from the rest of the company.  There 

I do not intend to insult anyone with these views but I simply refuse to agree
with the above posting and prior related ones that promote sloppy programming,
bad style and blame incompetent programming on anything but lax efforts.  I
do think the OS needs several refinements, but they certainly are not aimed at
pleasing the game makers or the people who really would like Nintendo.  Use
the Amiga for its purpose - a computer system - not a game machine.  I realize
that good programs are difficult to make and test.  I do not deny that it is
hard work.  But if it can be done for the Mac/PC, it can be done for the
Amiga.  There is no reason why the level of software achieved by WORD/EXCEL 
cannot be achieved in similar products on our platform.  The  abundance of good
video software does not forgive the lack of equally good productivity and
business software.  The Amiga has some very excellent software but the above
attitude has contributed to more than our fair share of bad packages.

Use what you've got to make good software and quit whining about what you have
to do to use it.  Unless the good of what is offered now is enforced by use, we
will never get anything better.  And we have to aim for that before we can get
it.

Wayne Robbins
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
Email: Robbins@BrandonU.CA
  
====

Amiga:    The computer for the creative mind.
Mac:      The computer for the rest of us.
Windows:  For those on the outside looking in.
PC:       Pure crap?
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy