vanam@pttesac.UUCP (Marnix van Ammers) (10/01/86)
I've been reading some of the Amiga/MAC debates and wanted to put in my 2 cents and also ask a question. My brother and I are both computer enthusiasts. I started with a Radio Shack model 1, he started with an Apple ][. Two years ago he bought a MAC, then 6 months ago a MAC+. I bought a CPM system about 4 years ago, then an Amiga last May. I thought hard before deciding to put my money out for an Amiga, so naturally I believe that for me the Amiga is better for the money. But there are 3 things that I like better about the MAC. The first thing is the resolution of text on the screen. I've been told by dealers and I think I've heard it on the net that the MAC's screen looks sharper only because the screen is smaller. Well, I don't believe that. I've checked very closely. If I put my eyes closer to the MAC screen so that it appears as big as my Amiga monitor does at normal viewing distance, the MAC text still looks sharper. I think it's just the color monitor's fault and that one day I can upgrade to a better monitor. But I did just want to say that with the standard Amiga monitor, text will not look as sharp as on a MAC. The 2nd thing I like about the MAC is the clipboard. Unless I just haven't found the thing, there is no equivalent on the Amiga. I know there is a clipboard.device but I don't know what it's used for. The closest thing to a clipboard that I know of is the Notepad and that's just another word processing application. For those of you not familiar with the MAC clipboard, it's something that's always there and available, regardless of the application you're running. With it you can capture text from one application, store it on this clipboard, and later "paste" it into another application. It's one of many desk top accessories. I find it *very* useful. Someone recently mentioned that the Amiga has no desk top accessories. I think the poster was giving the impression that multi-tasking removes the need for desk top accessories. I don't see that. I would really like a clipboard like the MAC has. If such a thing is available, someone please clue me in. Another thing I like about the MAC: it has no fan. My CPM computer also doesn't have a fan. I really like that because I don't have to worry about the fan breaking down. Now for some things I don't like about the MAC. I *HATE* it's keyboard. I get so frustrated and angry with manufacturers who decide to do their "own" style of key layouts. I especially hate it when one or more of the standard ASCII characters is missing. I hated that about my old Radio Shack model 1 computer too, but back then I was happy just to have A through Z. When I'm visiting my brother and he lets me use his MAC to logon to work, I can never find the DEL key. I don't know where my brother's been. He never seems to understand what I mean by DEL. I say "DEL! RUB-OUT! 7-holes! 127! EF! 0177!" and he says "isn't that just a graphics character?" So then I find that I have to stop the display and I go to type a ^S and lo and behold NO CONTROL KEY! So he tells me to type COMMAND-SHIFT-SOMETHING- OR-OTHER. So I look and lo and behold THERE IS NO KEY LABELED "COMMAND". Another thing I don't like about the MAC is being locked in to that small monitor. The MAC does have the advantage of being fairly easy to pack up and take with you, but it seems to me they could have done that and STILL had the monitor so it could be removed. Yet another complaint is the non-standard cables. I almost bought a MAC+ at a computer faire because the price was really good. But I wouldn't be able to hook it up to my modem. The dealer would have to special order a cable for my bell 212A standard modem. Now the Amiga's cables aren't standard either, but the connectors are standard and the only thing I had to do was cut certain leads out to get a working serial and a working parallel port cable. Oh, I don't know if the monitor cable is standard or not. I have no previous experience with color monitors. At least with my serial port, I'm glad that Commodore stuck with a standard DB-25 connector. Makes getting parts and making your own cables easy. Lets see. What else. Oh yes. The mice. I'm quite neutral about having a 2 button mouse. It works fine for me. I will say this though. I believe that novices have it a little easier learning to use a one button mouse. One of the first troubles I see novices having with my Amiga is that they are pressing the left button when I'm telling them to press the right button. Since they're looking at the screen and are not yet familiar with the feel of the mouse, they can easily think they're on one button when they're actually on the other. It doesn't take too long to get used to, but it is a valid point in favor of the one button mouse. I shouldn't have to say, but I love having color and I think multitasking is great. Boy do I feel good when I'm transferring a file from work to my Amiga while I'm editing and compiling something else! Or copying a disks in the background while I'm writing letters! OK that was my two (three?) cents. Someone please tell me how I can get a clipboard. Marnix
mrh@Shasta.STANFORD.EDU (Marc Hannah) (10/02/86)
In article <293@pttesac.UUCP>, vanam@pttesac.UUCP (Marnix van Ammers) writes: > I've been reading some of the Amiga/MAC debates and wanted > to put in my 2 cents and also ask a question. > . > . > Yet another complaint is the non-standard cables. I almost > bought a MAC+ at a computer faire because the price was > really good. But I wouldn't be able to hook it up to my > modem. The dealer would have to special order a cable for > my bell 212A standard modem. Now the Amiga's cables aren't... > Someone please tell me how I can get a clipboard. > > Marnix I enjoyed your posting but I have to say that I am amazed that the sole reason you didn't buy a Mac was because of the cabling situation. I think you have a bad dealer who doesn't know how to obtain the right cable or send you somewhere where you can. I think there are a lot of reasons why one may be interested in the Amiga over the Mac but I don't think the type of cables used is one of my highest criteria. David Gelphman BITNET address: DAVEG@SLACVM Bin #88 SLAC ARPANET address: DAVEG@SLACVM.BITNET Stanford, Calif. 94305 UUCP address: ...psuvax1!daveg%slacvm.bitnet 415-854-3300 x2538 usual disclaimer #432 applies: my employer apologies for the fact that I have access to this net.
sdl@linus.UUCP (Steven D. Litvintchouk) (10/05/86)
> The 2nd thing I like about the MAC is the clipboard. Unless I > just haven't found the thing, there is no equivalent on the > Amiga. I know there is a clipboard.device but I don't know > what it's used for. The closest thing to a clipboard that I > know of is the Notepad and that's just another word processing > application. The Amiga could have a great clipboard if only the software vendors agreed to use it for their cut and paste commands. Since most Amiga software today follows the standard IFF format for data, an Amiga clipboard could store music and sound as well as graphics and text. Steven Litvintchouk MITRE Corporation Burlington Road Bedford, MA 01730 Fone: (617)271-7753 ARPA: sdl@mitre-bedford UUCP: ...{cbosgd,decvax,genrad,ll-xn,philabs,security,utzoo}!linus!sdl