portuesi@tweezers.esd.sgi.com (Michael Portuesi) (09/28/89)
I was looking through the latest issue of "MicroTimes", a
computer magazine freely distributed in California. In it was an
article entitled "So You Want To Buy A Computer", containing
advice for the uninitiated consumer seeking to buy their first
computer system.
At the end of the article, the author provides us with capsule
summaries of the personal computer systems on the market. Here is
what the author had to say about the Amiga:
Amiga: The Commodore Amiga is a tragic computer. With superb
color graphics, stereo sound and a friendly, flexible operating
system, it just never caught on in the mass market. It is still
the world's best computer for games (the Atari ST comes in a
close second).
Amiga is as difficult to program as the Mac, and the selection of
non-game software is rather limited. At additional cost, you can
add a degree of MS-DOS compatibility (i.e. you can run software
written for the IBM PC and compatibles). Amiga is the choice of
many creative artists and musicians, but outside that charmed
circle, it has limited prospects.
The summaries for the Atari ST and C64/128 were only slightly
kinder.
While many of the things this summary says are true, the
editorial slant of the article is most offensive. Instead of
saying "productivity software", the author says "non-game
software". Instead of saying "you can add AT-compatible hardware
and software compatibility", he says "you can add a *degree* of
MS-DOS compatibility", implying the Amiga cannot be as compatible
as other PC clones.
The summaries for the IBM compatibles, Macs, and the //GS give
you advice on choosing appropriate configurations and
peripherals. The summaries for the Amiga, 64/128 and ST tell you
about what failures the systems are despite the fact they're
great game machines. The captions next to the photos for each of
the systems in the article speak for themselves:
System Caption
====== =======
Apple //GS "The top-of-the-line Apple //GS is a popular choice of
families."
Mac SE "Expensive but arguably worth it, the Macintosh offers
unprecedented ease of use."
WYSE PC "This WYSE PC is one of a myriad of PC/XT/AT/386
compatible machines by many vendors."
IBM PS/2 "If you *must* buy IBM, go for its new PS/2 machines."
Amiga 2000 "Beloved by video and graphic artists, the Amiga 2000
never caught on in the corporate world."
Atari ST "A great game machine, the Atari ST has a limited
range of applications available."
It looks like Harry Copperman is going to have an uphill battle
with his drive to promote the Amiga. I wish him luck.
--M
--
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\/ Michael Portuesi Silicon Graphics Computer Systems, Inc.
portuesi@SGI.COM
"The best length for television programs is either 30 seconds or 8
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