gaines@msdrl.UUCP (Michael Gains) (08/26/90)
Well, here's the deal. Three months ago there wasn't a bigger Atari fanatic than myself...that is until their stock dropped from 14 to 5. Reality kicked in and I began to see that things were going from bad to worse. Who cares about the Lynx and the Hotz box? I dumped my Atari and bought another system (whose name shall be nameles...but close to an Atari system). At least now I don't have to worry about the company folding in the near future since it's one of the top computer companies in America. Newsweek did a graph of the amount of personal computers on the market. Atari wasn't even in the top 10. Now...people say that Atari is good for them. Fine. But what happens when they fold? They're down to 2 5/8. Quite a drop from last year's 14.Atari STs may be good for you now....but think about what may come of them (and you) if they can't get their act together. Everyone's feeling the crunch from the Mid East, but in Atari's case, they never had anything to fall back on. Michael E. Gaines Merck Sharp & Dohme Research Laboratories (201)594-5093 "Here, look, there's a semicolon after your 'for' loop..." #include <disclaimer.h>
ekrimen@csuchico.edu (Ed Krimen) (08/27/90)
- Well, here's the deal. Did someone say 'deal?' :^) - Three months ago there wasn't a bigger Atari fanatic than myself... Like me now? - I dumped my Atari and bought another system (whose name shall be - nameles...but close to an Atari system). At least now I don't have to - worry about the company folding in the near future since it's one - of the top computer companies in America. What does a computer company do for you? It manufactures computers. Atari seems no different from other manufacturer, except that Atari has yet to advertise and promote their ST's in the U.S. :^) The support for the computer comes from third party products, which can do a much better job on a smaller level than a large corporation. I bought my 1040 because I needed a word processor for school and I knew that I wanted to get into telecommunications into the future. I saw Word Writer and Flash (hate Flash!) and I was set! So what else has Atari done for me? Nothing more really than produce a fun-to-use, inexpensive computer for my word processing and telecomm addiction. I didn't ask them for anything more. So, they decide to come out with an STe. I bought one and am head over heals for it. It's great! Do I ask them for anything else? No. - Newsweek did a graph of the amount of personal computers on the - market. Atari wasn't even in the top 10. Now...people say that - Atari is good for them. Fine. But what happens when they fold? People have been saying Atari is going to fold for years. What's different? They have new computers in the market. They have one of the largest base of computers in Europe. Their Portfolio is selling well. Their Lynx is doing well. They sell all the computers they make. - They're down to 2 5/8. Quite a drop from last year's 14. I know. OUCH! - Atari STs may be good for you now....but think about what may come - of them (and you) if they can't get their act together. I thought the rule in the computer industry is to buy the computer that suits your needs now. Not to wait around for what happens in the future.
steve@thelake.mn.org (Steve Yelvington) (08/27/90)
[In article <914@msdrl.UUCP>,
gaines@msdrl.UUCP (Michael Gains) writes ... ]
> Fine. But what happens when they fold? They're down to 2 5/8. Quite a drop from
> last year's 14.Atari STs may be good for you now....but think about what may
> come of them (and you) if they can't get their act together.
Can't get their act together? (Snort.)
Not a damned thing would happen. Nothing has happened in the last five
years of not having their act together. Nothing would happen now.
My ST is plugged into the power lines and the phone lines. It doesn't have
an umbilical cord running back to Uncle Jack. I doubt that the roof is
caving in at Atari Corp., but even if it did, the average Atari *owner*
wouldn't feel a thing. Nobody depends on Atari Corp. for software, and
except for the basic system unit (currently available for $250 on the used
market) everything is available from multiple third-party vendors. The
price of Atari stock is irrelevant.
--
Steve Yelvington up at the lake in Minnesota
steve@thelake.mn.org plains!umn-cs!steve