[comp.sys.amiga] introduction, questions, A2000, RE: tilt

klm@munsell.UUCP (03/04/87)

Dear Universe:

I am relatively new to this neat world of news networks and such
having been locked away in a lab for so many years hacking away at DG
Eclipses, DEC PDP-11s, and microcoding boards that somebody else
designed.  I've been using UNIX for a while on a VAX, but we never had
any connections to the outside world.  Such a poor culturally deprived
(or is that depraved? :-) soul am I. 

Anyway, I suddenly find myself sitting in front of a Sun 3/75... Boy
am I having fun now! 

I am also an Amiga owner, which is why I am posting this.  I've only
had my Amiga since November, so I'm still pretty far down on the
learning curve.  I'm trying to use it for some real work.  An
associate of mine has this neat software idea that he'd like to market
that utilizes the Amiga's sound capabilities, etc.  He got me to
invest in a machine and do some development work for him with a
(written) promise of a cut of the gross when and if he ever sells
it... 

When I first subscribed to comp.sys.amiga I was notified that there
were around 700 unread articles (whew!).  I have now managed to wade
through and weed out most of it, so I only have another 50 or 60 to
go.  I think that now is an appropriate time to introduce myself and
start getting into this for real.  First of all, I think the Amiga is
a great machine.  Somebody finally came up with something that could
satisfy a hardcore hacker.  Sure, the opsys has some problems; sure I
spend as much time rebooting as I do debugging; I'm used to it, after
all, I used to drive an RDOS machine! :-)

I've got an Aztec C compiler (3.20a), MicroEmacs, and a few other
goddies, including a legit, store bought copy of Maxiplan that seems
to enjoy calling the guru *every* time I try to graph something (I've
given up, besides I don't *really* need a color pie chart of my
non-existent checkbook balance, do I? :-)

I don't have a modem yet, but one is definitely in my budget for the
near future. So, a question is in order:

I've read things that imply that you guys and gals out there have a
lot of this USENET news and mail stuff running on your Amiga's. 

	Is this true? and where can I get some?

Also, I'm very interested in the recent announcement of the A2000.
I've read the "preview" in BYTE and it gives me some concern.  Are
those of us with A1000s going to have a special place reserved in hell
for us right next to the orphaned Osborne owners? 

I've never seen a Sidecar, never read anything concrete about exactly
what it is or what it does, and neither has my local Amiga dealer.  It
must exist, for some people actually claim to own one.  What good is
it, *really*? 

Well, that's enough for now.  I hope that this provokes some replies.
You can even Phlame me if you want, it's your dime! 

P.S.  To Leo Schwab: Thanks for tilt.  It was worth having to type it
      in from a listing I generated on the Sun.  I chuckled.

-- 
Kevin McBride  -  Eikonix Corp.  -  23 Crosby Dr.  -  Bedford, MA  01730
{{harvard,ll-xn}!adelie,{decvax,allegra,talcott}!encore}!munsell!klm
Disclaimer:  Forgive my employers for they know not what I do

ewhac@well.UUCP (Leo 'Bols Ewhac' Schwab) (03/07/87)

In article <419@weber.munsell.UUCP> klm@munsell.UUCP (Kevin McBride) writes:
>Dear Universe:
>
	On behalf of the universe :-)........

>I've read things that imply that you guys and gals out there have a
>lot of this USENET news and mail stuff running on your Amiga's. 
>
>	Is this true? and where can I get some?
>
	If you mean actually running uucp, rn, and mail on an Amiga, the
answer is, sadly, no.  Actually, not having uucp is probably a good thing,
since if we did, the USENET would probably collapse.

>Also, I'm very interested in the recent announcement of the A2000.
>I've read the "preview" in BYTE and it gives me some concern.  Are
>those of us with A1000s going to have a special place reserved in hell
>for us right next to the orphaned Osborne owners? 
>
	Nope.  ASDG will be supporting old 1000 owners with a new card cage
that will let you plug in hardware intended for the new machine.  Also,
Commodore fully intends to continue supporting the 1000.

>I've never seen a Sidecar, never read anything concrete about exactly
>what it is or what it does, and neither has my local Amiga dealer.  It
>must exist, for some people actually claim to own one.  What good is
>it, *really*? 
>
	None at all.  Unless, of course, you have this burning desire to run
IBM software on your Amiga.  Seriously, the Sidecar is a very neat hack, but
personally I have no use for one.  Everything I need or want to do I can do
using native Amiga software.  Some picking through your dealer's shelves and
through the Fred Fish public domain software collection should reveal any
tool you require.

>P.S.  To Leo Schwab: Thanks for tilt.  It was worth having to type it
>      in from a listing I generated on the Sun.  I chuckled.
>
	You're quite welcome.

>-- 
>Kevin McBride  -  Eikonix Corp.  -  23 Crosby Dr.  -  Bedford, MA  01730
>{{harvard,ll-xn}!adelie,{decvax,allegra,talcott}!encore}!munsell!klm
>Disclaimer:  Forgive my employers for they know not what I do

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sean@ukma.UUCP (03/12/87)

In article <2718@well.UUCP> ewhac@well.UUCP (Leo 'Bols Ewhac' Schwab) writes:
>Actually, not having uucp is probably a good thing,
>since if we did, the USENET would probably collapse.

You know, with all the public domain software out there, I'm surprised that
a PD uucp hasn't been written for Amigas/STs/IBM PCs/Unix Machines.  I've seen
at least 4 major mail systems posted to mod.sources.  For that matter, I'm
surprised that a PD version of "vi" hasn't been written.  There's been several
versions of microemacs, a couple of public domain emacs, tvx, se, and other's
I can't think of.  If someone wrote a PD version of vi, it would make a lot of
micro owners happy.


Sean
-- 
===========================================================================
Sean Casey      UUCP:  cbosgd!ukma!sean           CSNET:  sean@ms.uky.csnet
		ARPA:  ukma!sean@anl-mcs.arpa    BITNET:  sean@UKMA.BITNET

avery@puff.UUCP (03/13/87)

In article <6065@ukmj.ukma.ms.uky.csnet>, sean@ukma.ms.uky.csnet (Sean Casey) writes:
> You know, with all the public domain software out there, I'm surprised that
> a PD uucp hasn't been written for Amigas/STs/IBM PCs/Unix Machines.  I've seen
> at least 4 major mail systems posted to mod.sources.  For that matter, I'm

     A friend of mine and I have toyed with the idea of putting a uucp on
the amiga. As near as we can tell, not only isn't source available (at a
'reasonable' cost, and understandable), there doesn't even seem to be a
protocol description available. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, as
this doesn't seem reasonable.

Aaron Avery ({caip,allegra,seismo,harvard,ihnp4}!uwvax!puff!avery)
	    (avery@puff.wisc.edu)