grr@cbmvax.cbm.UUCP (George Robbins) (05/25/87)
Please, people, can we turn down the heat a little? In case nobody noticed,
the amiga news group broke #1 on the most active newsgroup list for the last
two weeks. While there *is* a lot to talk about, the net.gods are watching.
If they conclude that the volume exceeds the utility of the group, some sort
of unpleasant solution won't be long in coming. Moderation, or perhaps a
request that Commodore support people restrict themselves to the commercial
networks?
Anyway:
1) Copies of Kickstart/Workbench on PD software or shareware.
The support people have given the best answer *they* have. We made
it cheap and easy for any developer to include the stuff (try to do
this with MSDOS), but don't have a solution that protects Commodore's
copyright in the PD case. All the support folk can do is bounce the
issue upward. Unfortunatly, the responsible person is running around
the world doing A2000 dealer/rep/sales training and nothing much is
likely to happend until they and legal get a chance to talk it over.
2) Reading MAC disks.
In the first approximation, this isn't possible. You can stick in a
disk and it won't read it. The hardware doesn't have a controller
setting for MAC disks (does do Apple ][ though). However, if some
people are clever enough to find a way to do it, cheaply and reliably,
then all the power in the world to them.
3) Sales/Price/Marketing/Shows.
What can I say? Reasonably coherent criticism and messages stand a
good chance of getting forwarded up and/or over the managment chain.
Flames and grossly negatory stuff doesn't go far. Remember though,
that *nothing* is official or final until the units are actually on
the shelf and for sale.
4) Windows and the world.
Try to remember that what you know best is probably AmigaDOS/Intuition,
while there's a fair chance that what you think you know about windows
on the MAC or ST or whatever may well be wrong, incomplete or perhaps
obsolete. Misrepresenting somebody else's pet only generates scores
of corrections and does little forward your line of discussion. Try
to check, or ask somebody who should know before misspeaking yourself.
5) Sources and stuff.
It looks like things are finally working in the moderated sources
and binaries groups. I know it's been a long and frustrating wait,
but give 'em the benefit of the doubt when you have some heavy duty
source or object to post.
No, I'm no saint either, but we've all got a vested interested in keeping this
group productive and seeing continued success/expansion of the Amiga product
line/programming environment.
--
George Robbins - now working for, uucp: {ihnp4|seismo|rutgers}!cbmvax!grr
but no way officially representing arpa: cbmvax!grr@seismo.css.GOV
Commodore, Engineering Department fone: 215-431-9255 (only by moonlite)