From: 01mbmccabe@leo.bsuvc.bsu.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Porky pig.
Date: 12 Jan 93 02:10:08 GMT
Organization: Ball State University, Muncie, In - Univ. Computing Svc's

In article <1is1dpINN4bq@life.ai.mit.edu>, dmb@case.ai.mit.edu (David Baggett) writes:
> In article <1993Jan11.021216.13462@bsu-ucs> 01mbmccabe@leo.bsuvc.bsu.edu writes:
>>My thoughts to that point (thinking more generally) are that MOST people don't
>>NEED to program in GNU C++.  This places a hard-drive back into the nice-but-
>>still-a-luxury catagory.  Sorry, it's still $$ (and a maybe a smattering of
>>nostalgia) that holds me out of the clone-realm.  I'll probably cross the
>>threshhold some time after a hard-drive for this ST costs more than a complete
>>clone system.  And that's not likely to happen soon.
> 
> I suppose the *computer* is still in a nice-but-still-a-luxury
> category, eh?  Pencil and paper works JUST FINE, provided you're
> willing to wait.  Such reactionary arugments are ridiculous.  We're not
> talking about cutting edge stuff here; hard drives have ben standard
> for years now.

"Standard" or "tradition" are not a good arguement for anything.  And I think a
more appropriate comparison would be pencil with hand-eraser vs pencil with
eraser on the end.  A matter of convenience.

>>I believe someone said something about that being a beta copy, or unliscenced
>>or something.  Of course pirating is not so unfamiliar to many clone users.
> 
> Frankly, your generalizations only make it obvious that you'll find any
> excuse to criticize people who own clones or (gasp) just like them.  I
> KNOW how cheap ST people are from painful personal experience, so don't
> talk to me about piracy, not paying for shareware, etc.  YOU are part
> of the reason the ST market sucks so much I have to leave it
> completely.  YOU are the one who says, "I can't pay $50 for OS
> software."  PC people pay for software in enough numbers that they
> support massive development efforts.  Both good and bad software comes
> out of these, but the market is certainly strong.

Could you be more specific?  And FYI, if I try, I could _probably_ find soime
fault with ANYTHING or ANYONE you could name.  I've never seen a computer or a
person I thought was perfect.  Tell me how I make the ST market suck, please? 
"PC people pay for software in enough numbers..."  Could you say 30% of the PC
user market is onboard because of the fantastic piracy network?  I'm certain it
dwarfs any such network Atari may/may have had.  Whatever.

>>Anywho, it sounds like you're on the right track.  Buy what you need.
>>Use will-power.  Buy only what you need.  The clone-realm is prone to
>>draw a man to gadget hell.  Look at them, look at what Atari can do,
>>look at what MAC can do.
> 
> Atari's simply aren't competetive anymore.  Face it, if you bought a
> new machine, would it be an ST?  If so, then you really are deluded
> beyond all hope.  Apple's soon not going to even HAVE a 68000 machine
> in their line -- they're just too darn slow by today's standards.

In a couple of years, when I intend on investing in a new system, and if I
still have InterNet access, I'll let you know what I decide.  You're probably
right that it won't be a 68000 machine.  It'll probably be along the lines of a
68040 or whatever the price/perfomance ratio bears out from the market.

				-Matt