Bob_BobR_Retelle@cup.portal.com (03/10/91)
I just received the following reply from Lee Seiler, president of Lexicor..
He doesn't have UseNet access, so I'm posting it here for him..
BobR
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Text of Lexicor reply follows
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Date: MARCH 9TH 1991
From: LEXICOR SOFTWARE
Subj: VIDEOTOASTER Comments
To: Bob R.
Bob,
Thanks for the usenet message thread. Yes I do have some
comments. If you would like to upload them or simply quote me
either is fine. I trust you will be accurate and honest. I am far
to busy and have little actual interest in what AMIGA users
believe or don't believe. ( What a lot of Crap!)
Thanks.
Lee Seiler
************************Toaster Comments**********************
It has come to my attention that LEXICOR has been quoted as having
stated that the new ATARI TT would be compatible with the Newteck
Video Toaster. This quote is not accurate.
I was asked during a general and casual conversation by someone
identifying him self as a potential customer of LEXICOR products
whether or not I had heard that the Video Toaster was going to be
compatible with the ATARI TT? My answer as reflected on LEXICOR"s
telephone logs was.........
" I have heard some talk about this, and if this marriage is
produced we would definitely want to support it in our software."
The second quote simply never came from me. First and foremost it
is not on our telephone logs and second the quote is not
responsive to the question. In addition after reviewing most of
the message thread it appears as if LEXICOR was being interviewed,
This was not the case. I feel that to have bits and pieces of a
casual conversation used in an article style report on a usernet
or BBS is unfair to both myself and anyone who reads it. I must
also point out that the same individual called me a second time in
an attempt to cover himself because of much adverse reactions at
ATARI corporation in Sunnyvale Ca., NewTeck and here at Lexicor.
FOR THE RECORD I do happen to know about the Newteck video
toaster/ATARI 030 TT project. This project has nothing to do with
LEXICOR at this time. There has been some serious discussions
about doing SUCH A PROJECT, I am sure that if and when the people
and companies who are involved in this project decide to make an
announcement, given any success at all, we will all hear about it
at that time.
BTW in answer to one comment about NewTeck not ever letting the
toaster move over onto other hardware platforms..? While they
may never do this themselves the fact is that once they sell
their product to the general public the buyer can "move the
toaster " onto any platform they wish. Any attempt to prevent
this is a restraint of trade and restraint of private use...and is
against the law.
rjc@wookumz.ai.mit.edu (Ray Cromwell) (03/10/91)
In article <39994@cup.portal.com> Bob_BobR_Retelle@cup.portal.com writes: >BTW in answer to one comment about NewTeck not ever letting the >toaster move over onto other hardware platforms..? While they >may never do this themselves the fact is that once they sell >their product to the general public the buyer can "move the >toaster " onto any platform they wish. Any attempt to prevent >this is a restraint of trade and restraint of private use...and is ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >against the law. > Well, I'm not a lawyer, but Apple seems to get away with this all the time. Apple has restricted reselling of Mac ROMs, Author's have restricted reselling of their books. Marrying the Toaster to another computer isn't impossible, it's just hard. The Toaster isn't just hardware, alot of the magic is done in software too. Software that is written in assembler, and for a multitasking operating system, along with an interprocess communication language called 'Arexx'. The Hardware is also tighly coupled to the Amiga's custom chips (I surmise) and the 3.57mhz NTSC signal generated by Agnus. BTW, Lexicor spelled the Toaster's company name wrong. It's NewTek.
mc4c+@andrew.cmu.edu (Mark Choi) (03/12/91)
> Excerpts from netnews.comp.sys.atari.st: 10-Mar-91 Re: Lexicor replies > Ray Cromwell@wookumz.ai. (1204) > Marrying the Toaster to another computer isn't impossible, it's just > hard. > The Toaster isn't just hardware, alot of the magic is done in software > too. > Software that is written in assembler, and for a multitasking operating > system, along with an interprocess communication language called 'Arexx'. > The Hardware is also tighly coupled to the Amiga's custom chips (I > surmise) > and the 3.57mhz NTSC signal generated by Agnus. While I still doubt that this will happen, the software part of it does not seem all that hard. With the DA multitasking capability, and hell, even the new MIDI -Tasking environment, the OS part of it seem under control. Ditto on the command language/Arexx issue. As far as assembler is concerned, that is always hard. It was hard for the original writers of the software. In fact, though, anyone could write software on the Amiga to take control of the toaster. You don't need to use the shipped software, it's just more convenient. If the bundled software didn't include a feature (like what?!!! :^) ), you could write it yourself (assuming you are a god). It is no more difficult to do this on the native platform than on a new on. AS LONG AS YOU HACK THE HARDWARE RIGHT. This is the rub. You will need a lot of proprietary Amiga hardware to do this. This is why I doubt it. The software issue is irrelevant. Agnus, Denise Gary (and the GURU!) will be the real adversaries here.