From: skip@tacky.cs.olemiss.edu (Skip Sauls)
Subject: Re: A4000 article
Organization: University of Mississippi, Dept. of Computer Science
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 17:49:40 GMT

In article <Mike_Whalen.0kmg@agwbbs.new-orleans.LA.US> Mike_Whalen@agwbbs.new-orleans.LA.US (Mike Whalen) writes:
>In a message dated Wed 29 Jul 92 18:03, Skip@tacky.cs.olemiss.edu (skip Sau
>wrote:

<stuff deleted>

>  Maybe I just don't get it.. maybe you can show me the humor and deep
>seeded meaning in all this?

The original thread had something to do with a character named "Slu Aspiks"
(read the name backwards :-) and another guy who were arguing about the 
Amiga versus the Atari Falcon.  One of them asked for developers to speak
out about the Amigas being beta-tested because the world needed to know.
I posted the A4000 article as a joke, but it may not have seemed like such
unless someone had been following the thread.

> SS> I'd bet that lots of people would love to see machines such as those
> SS> mentioned in the article.  I didn't just start making those specs up
> SS> off the top of my head.  I've been active on the Amiga groups for
>
>  Well, it's quite obvious that you know a lot about the system. I am not a
>person into computer tech, but someone I told about this is and he thought
>it was flawed.. but well thought out.

Actually I'm a CS grad student and know just enough about hardware to 
be able to spew jargon and specs.  :-)  The only real thought put into
the article is the endless daydreaming about what I wish the Amiga was
instead of what it is.  The machines in the article are based on rumors
about the AA chipset, the old A800 and AmigaStation article, and a lot
of wishful thinking. 

> SS> nothing to do with the spread of the edited versions of the article
> SS> and
> SS> honestly find it hard to believe that it has gone so far.
>
>  It's true. I heard rumblings about some Super New Amiga 4000 over on
>GEnie's Amiga RT. I checked in and it mentioned something about it. So, I
>looked on the list of newsgroups and signed into Advocacy. That's when I
>saw the posting of the article. Since then, I have found out that it's over
>on CompuSpend and, though I know of no one over there and I can't confirm
>this.. I hear it's on Tragedy (Prodigy). People are taking this for real
>and spreading it all over the place. I don't know if the word has gotten
>around that it's fake. 

In the latest AMReport there is a notice that the article was a fake.  If
the authors of the newsletters had bothered to check with me I'd have 
assured them the article was bogus.  One guy was saying how much trouble
I'd be in for breaking my NDA with C=, yet I am not even a registered 
developer.  The funny thing is that we cannot even get C= to send a rep
to the annual campus computer fair, much less let us beta-test anything.

<other stuff deleted>

> SS> You obviously saw one of the versions in which the last paragraph was
> SS> conveniently deleted.
>
>  I did. Sorry.

Apology accepted, but I'll also say that I'm sorry about the mess that the
article seems to have created.  I'd heard that articles sometimes showed
up on the other nets, but I didn't think that some jerk would edit certain
parts before doing so.

> SS> When someone is frustrated with reality, they often resort to wishful
> SS> thinking.  In this case the reality is the sorry state that Commodore
> SS> has
> SS> put the Amiga in and the wishful thinking was expressed in the
> SS> article.
>
>  Hey! I totally agree with you! Commodore is sad... but how can we change
>their minds? I think the best thing to do at this point is try to motivate
>Mr. Robinson into being our voice. Commodore won't.
>
>What do you think of that?

If he's willing to speak on the behalf of frustrated Amiga owners and can
get C= to listen and act I'm all for it.  But considering the tone of
finality in the article it may prove to be difficult if not impossible.
I'll send a letter to him, but it won't be to ask him to lay off of C=,
rather I'll ask that he makes even bigger waves.

> SS> Honestly, I am not out to make you mad at me.  I'm sorry that you saw
> SS> a
> SS> butchered version of the article, I assure that the original would
> SS> have
> SS> seemed much less cowardly and deceiving.
>
>  Once again, I apologize for jumping all over you like that. I did not
>know there was an original piece and I didn't know it was conviniently
>edited.
>
>  Sorry.

No problem, I've been around here for over a year now and have thick 
enough scars that the flames barely tickle.  :-)  Even though it may seem 
that there are a lot of people around here who hate the Amiga, I don't 
think that anything could be further from the truth.  The problem is not 
with the Amiga itself, it is with what the Amiga has not become.

>Mike.. 
>
>-- Via DLG Pro v0.992

Skip Sauls
skip@tacky.cs.olemiss.edu