ali@navajo.STANFORD.EDU (Ali Ozer) (09/25/86)
[] Just this morning I was talking to someone, a Mac user. I mentioned the Amiga, and the person said "oh, what an awful machine." I said, "really, what don't you like about it?" His reply was "oh the characters are so big and ugly." I asked him when and for how long he used one, and his reply was that he saw it recently at a dealer's window... Come on people, that's not the right approach to something new! "Big and ugly characters" do not make up the Amiga. You can change fonts, change colors, change resolution. In fact, most games and demo programs use lowres text, just so they can run fine on a normal TV monitor! Most Amiga users have played with or used Macs sometime in their lives. After all, the Mac came out much earlier, and is really a great machine! I remember being very impressed with MacDraw, with the voice synthesis programs, etc. Most Mac users (and even some dealers) however, talk about the Amiga without even having laid hands on one. In the last three weeks three people have have told me that they were interested in buying computers, preferably some sort of a Mac (Plus or 512K), which they were already familiar with. But, after I gave them a 2-hour demo of what the Amiga can do, they were totally convinced that the Amiga is the better machine for their needs. I did not show them fancy things just to impress them with sounds and color... I showed them Emacs, I showed them how one useful multitasking is, I showed them a lot of the public domain software that's out, etc. These were all either CS people or people who were interested in programming the computer they would get. And I believe the Amiga is seriously a better choice for anyone who enjoys using their computer as more than just an appliance. So, Mac owners, before you rag on the Amiga, go see one in action. And not one at a dealer's window. Just get a friend to show you what it can do. Ali Ozer
ed@plx.UUCP (Ed Chaban) (09/26/86)
> So, Mac owners, before you rag on the Amiga, go see one in action. And not > one at a dealer's window. Just get a friend to show you what it can do. > > Ali Ozer How about what it CAN,T do Like run Microsoft EXCEL........ Ed Chaban Plexus Computers Inc. (Still an amiga owner) Phone: (408) 943-2226 Net: sun!plx!ed
carolyn@cbmvax.cbm.UUCP (Carolyn Scheppner) (09/27/86)
In article <855@navajo.STANFORD.EDU> ali@navajo.ARPA (Ali Ozer) writes: >[] >Just this morning I was talking to someone, a Mac user. I mentioned >the Amiga, and the person said "oh, what an awful machine." I said, >"really, what don't you like about it?" His reply was "oh the characters >are so big and ugly." I asked him when and for how long he used one, >and his reply was that he saw it recently at a dealer's window... Tell him the characters are tiny and cute on a 9 inch screen. -- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Carolyn Scheppner -- CBM >>Amiga Technical Support<< UUCP ...{allegra,caip,ihnp4,seismo}!cbmvax!carolyn PHONE 215-431-9180 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
acs@amdahl.UUCP (Tony Sumrall) (09/27/86)
In article <278@plx.UUCP> ed@plx.UUCP (Ed Chaban) writes: > > So, Mac owners, before you rag on the Amiga, go see one in action. And not > > one at a dealer's window. Just get a friend to show you what it can do. > > > > Ali Ozer > > > How about what it CAN,T do > > Like run Microsoft EXCEL........ > > Ed Chaban > Plexus Computers Inc. > (Still an amiga owner) > Phone: (408) 943-2226 > Net: sun!plx!ed How about what NEITHER the Mac nor the Amiga can do...run CHKDSK? C'mon already! Cut out the net.computer wars, huh. I know you're upset Ed but will ya just give it a break. I had nothing to do with your unfortunate experience (yes, I'm *truly* sorry that it happened to you) but do *I* have to suffer this constantly? And everyone else that's getting in on this my-computer-is-better-than-your contest, CUT IT OUT, please! This discussions *was* quite useful but it has really degenerated. Sheesh! -- Tony Sumrall ...!{ihnp4,hplabs,seismo,sun}!amdahl!acs [ Opinions expressed herein are the author's and should not be construed to reflect the views of Amdahl Corp. ]
tdn@spice.cs.cmu.edu (Thomas Newton) (09/28/86)
> How about what it CAN,T do > > Like run Microsoft EXCEL........ Not to downplay the Mac here, but I suspect that a lot of the Mac applications that people mention as "proof" of the Mac's superiority (such as LightSpeed C) would be just as happy running on an Atari ST or an Amiga as on a Mac. Whether these programs will ever be seen running on an Atari or an Amiga has much more to do with marketing (it might be harder to charge $300-$400 for a spreadsheet when selling to ST owners than when selling to Mac owners) and manpower issues than to tit-for-tat comparisons of the different machines. -- Thomas Newton
dorner@uiucuxc.CSO.UIUC.EDU (10/01/86)
>> How about what it CAN,T do >> >> Like run Microsoft EXCEL........ > >Not to downplay the Mac here, but I suspect that a lot of the Mac applications >that people mention as "proof" of the Mac's superiority (such as LightSpeed C) >would be just as happy running on an Atari ST or an Amiga as on a Mac. Whether >these programs will ever be seen running on an Atari or an Amiga has much more >to do with marketing (it might be harder to charge $300-$400 for a spreadsheet >when selling to ST owners than when selling to Mac owners) and manpower issues >than to tit-for-tat comparisons of the different machines. > > -- Thomas Newton I of course can't say anything about the original poster's intent, but I DO think that pointing out that the Amiga can't run EXCEL is a valid thing for someone comparing the machines to do. Oh, I agree that there is probably no reason Excel couldn't be ported to the Amiga (after all, Gates & Co. are porting it to IBM PCs), and that it probably would run fine. But, as Tom pointed out, don't hold your breath--it may never happen. And therein lies the validity of saying, ``The Amiga can't run Excel.'' As a computer buyer, the absolute, in-a-vacuum capabilities of a machine are not unimportant, but the rubber hits the road when I say, ``What can I DO with it, NOW?'' With the Amiga, for better or worse, one of the answers is, ``You can't run Excel.'' That may make the mac a ``better'' machine for me, now, than the Amiga. I can hear some of you howling, ``That's exactly what IBM PC'ers said when the mac came out.'' My answer to that is that the mac (or the Amiga or the Atari ST) are so much better, in-a-vacuum, that it compensates for the initial software drought, for most people. And indeed, the people who said, ``I'm gonna buy a PC because it runs 1-2-3 and the mac doesn't,'' are now wistfully (or would be if they were smart enough) watching Excel on the mac. But it is not at all clear to me that the ST and the Amiga are that much better, in-a-vacuum, than a mac. So I don't think I would be willing to lose out on all that software that will run on a mac, but not on an Amiga, just because of a small difference in capability. EOT (End Of Tirade) --- Steve Dorner University of Illinois Computing Services Office dorner@uiucuxc.CSO.UIUC.EDU, ihnp4!cbosgd!uiucdcs!uxc!dorner I am the OFFICIAL SPOKESMAN not only of UIUC, but of the State of Illinois, The President of the United States, and the EMPEROR of the WORLD. All my decisions are final.
dec@hpcnoe.UUCP (Danny Cecil) (10/01/86)
/ hpcnoe:net.micro.mac / carolyn@cbmvax.cbm.UUCP (Carolyn Scheppner) / 6:33 pm Sep 26, 1986 / In article <855@navajo.STANFORD.EDU> ali@navajo.ARPA (Ali Ozer) writes: >[] >Just this morning I was talking to someone, a Mac user. I mentioned >the Amiga, and the person said "oh, what an awful machine." I said, >"really, what don't you like about it?" His reply was "oh the characters >are so big and ugly." I asked him when and for how long he used one, >and his reply was that he saw it recently at a dealer's window... Tell him the characters are tiny and cute on a 9 inch screen. -- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Carolyn Scheppner -- CBM >>Amiga Technical Support<< UUCP ...{allegra,caip,ihnp4,seismo}!cbmvax!carolyn PHONE 215-431-9180 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ----------
dec@hpcnoe.UUCP (Danny Cecil) (10/01/86)
>Just this morning I was talking to someone, a Mac user. I mentioned >the Amiga, and the person said "oh, what an awful machine." ... I am sick of all of this talk of whether the Amiga is better than a Mac or vice versa. I have a Mac and am very happy with it. I have not used an Amiga. However, I am happy to see *any* machine that is trying to be innovative rather than cloning a technology that was outdated when it was released five years ago! I hope that Commodore, Atari and Apple et.al., can be successful enough between them to stem the tide of mediocrity in microcomputers that Big Blue has spawned. OK, nuff said, lets drop this topic and move on to something else! Danny Cecil HP Colorado Networks Division {ihnp4, hplabs}!hpfcla!hpcnof!d_cecil
srp@houligan.UUCP (Steve Pietrowicz) (10/02/86)
>> So, Mac owners, before you rag on the Amiga, go see one in action. And not >> one at a dealer's window. Just get a friend to show you what it can do. >> >> Ali Ozer > > >How about what it CAN,T do > >Like run Microsoft EXCEL........ > >Ed Chaban >Plexus Computers Inc. >(Still an amiga owner) >Phone: (408) 943-2226 >Net: sun!plx!ed If you're so much against the Amiga, sell it and quit complaining about it. We're sick and tired of hearing you complain that you bought a machine that you didn't investigate well enough in the first place, and aren't happy with now. -- S. R. Pietrowicz | // The Amazing Amiga UUCP: ...!ihnp4!pur-ee!gould!houligan!srp | \X/
carolyn@cbmvax.cbm.UUCP (Carolyn Scheppner) (10/09/86)
In article <1460004@hpcnoe.UUCP> dec@hpcnoe.UUCP (Danny Cecil) writes: >/ hpcnoe:net.micro.mac / carolyn@cbmvax.cbm.UUCP (Carolyn Scheppner) / 6:33 pm Sep 26, 1986 / >In article <855@navajo.STANFORD.EDU> ali@navajo.ARPA (Ali Ozer) writes: >>[] >>Just this morning I was talking to someone, a Mac user. I mentioned >>the Amiga, and the person said "oh, what an awful machine." I said, >>"really, what don't you like about it?" His reply was "oh the characters >>are so big and ugly." I asked him when and for how long he used one, >>and his reply was that he saw it recently at a dealer's window... > > Tell him the characters are tiny and cute on a 9 inch screen. ^ (My Remark) This is in response to some email I received from an Apple employee. He feels I "owe the readers of net.micro.mac an apology" for what he calls an "unprofessional" "petty" "spiteful" remark. Well, I will apologize for not realizing the original article was cross-posted. I am not in the habit of cross-posting. As for "unprofessional", perhaps it was unprofessional to get sucked into the my-machine-versus-your-machine stuff. I was trying to wade through it, hoping it would stop so I wouldn't have to capital K it. But that "big and ugly" comment grabbed me. I don't know how to address "petty" and "spiteful" other than to say that these colorful adjectives made reading email a whole new experience. I hope that no one else interpreted my remark this way. It was meant to be a comment on some of the unfair comparisons of the two machines. I still think our characters could compete for cuteness if viewed on the same size screen. -- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Carolyn Scheppner -- CBM >>Amiga Technical Support<< UUCP ...{allegra,caip,ihnp4,seismo}!cbmvax!carolyn PHONE 215-431-9180 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=