Classic_-_Concepts@cup.portal.com (12/01/89)
I was in a local printing shop which will take a diskette and produce laser output on a LaserWriter PostScript printer. Waiting also was a gentle- man with a Mac diskette. (Some background first, at home I have my Amiga, a Mac Plus, 3 TRS-80s and an LNW.) The store has a Mac which people can use for a $12.50/hr charge. This was the conversation: Him: Do you use Microsoft Word on the Mac? (He assumed I had a Mac.) Me: Yes, and Pagemaker as well. I also have an Amiga. Him: Oh. I guess you use the Amiga for games. Me: Yes, sometimes, but most of the time I use it for Data Bases, Correspondence, Desktop Publishing, Graphics, Animation (he looks visibly surprised at this stream of information). I don't have a lot of time to play games these days. Him: Do you have a lot of software for the Amiga (dubious)? Me: Yes, several hundred. I have two things for the Mac, Microsoft Word and PageMaker. Him: (Gives me this astonished look--changes the subject). They have some really neat CAD programs for the Mac, if you like graphics. Me: I prefer to do graphics on the Amiga. Him: I guess the IBM is better for CAD, though. (My turn to look astonished. I've done about 3,000 hours of CAD on IBMs and it sucks, pardon the expression.) Me: No, I think the Amiga is vastly superior. Him: (Shakes his head.) Why? Me: Multitasking, graphics coprocessors, better resolution and colors. (and about 3 more minutes of conversation). A lot cheaper too. Him: My sister's kids have an Amiga. I guess they just use it for games. Me: (Sigh--I guess all the talk in the world doesn't make a lot of difference, sometimes. In this guy's mind, an Amiga is just another Commodore 64. Oh well. I just shrugged and paid for my printouts.) - JP