From: kontos@clipper.ingr.com (Thorne Kontos)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject: Advocacy rumor mill...
Keywords: A few questions that I need answered
Date: 14 Aug 92 20:04:25 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Intergraph Advanced Processor Division - Palo Alto, CA

Just a few questions:

 1) Will the new machines (A4000? with the 68040?/AA chip set?) be
    toaster-compatible? This is information I need to know now, and
    not when Commodore decides to get off its haunches. Compatibility
    will be a key issue if and when this new product hits the market.
    The reason I ask this is simple. The market is driving in strange
    directions and Microsoft certainly does seem to have their hand in
    everyone's pocket. I am now withholding my purchase of a 486/50
    tower system (loaded - you name it, I'll probably get it. BTW,
    I saw the videoblaster card in operation, and it wasn't bad. TV
    in a window, what will they think of next? But it does have some
    drawbacks as well. The authoring systems are far better as well.)
 2) Will a C++ compiler be readily available for this new machine?
 3) I am developing what I believe to be a commercial-grade software
    program. (Perhaps by Christmas.) It has the advantage of being an
    original idea, but it is sorely obvious that my profit margin will
    be tremendous if it is ported to Windows. (Larger installed user base.)
    Now I am currently NOT a registered developer, and I only plan on
    becoming one when it is time to take the product to market.
    Lack of information is a problem, so if any one has the phone # to
    register on BIX, E-mail me with it.
 4) Off the wall question time...Has anyone heard of programs that will
    convert COBOL to either FORTRAN or C? I am interested in all public
    domain or commercial products capable of language translation. This
    can be on any platform you can think of.

Opinion time:

 1) Lack of information about new machines hurts everyone. Rumor-
    spreading is far worse. As it stands, I have to wait for the
    supposed release of a new machine, then rewrite my existing code
    to make it function on an A4000. Non-disclosure to the point
    of making the end-user wait for exorbitant lengths of time, makes
    new developers hesitant and more likely to switch platforms. 
    Altruism has died long ago, a developer needs to pay the rent nowadays.
 2) OS/2.0 vs Windows NT - For a few months, I have heard OS/2.0 being
    touted as the end-all be-all operating system. But seeing as NT
    is in the alpha stage, I think IBM/clone users who are running OS/2.0
    will want to switch back. (Shades of AT&T vs. MCI at its best.) Non-
    disclosure naturally prevents me from saying more. All I see is a 
    viscious cycle of the end-user dropping loads of money, with each
    product gaining a small edge in functionality each time it is
    re-released. (BTW, I have seen both 8^))

Thanks for the use of bandwidth, respond by E-mail, as I no longer have the
time to wade through the volume of articles posted in this newsgroup.

                                        Thorne K. Kontos
                                     

 
   
   
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy