wgj@uafhcx.uucp (Bill Johnston) (06/01/90)
A freind of mine has been asking me about Specter. His buisness wants to install Mac's to do their publishing. However, beset with a shortage of funds they would like to know if installing Atari's with the Specter board and software is a good idea. Some questions: How compatible does this make the Atari to the Mac? Will this package continue to be supported? How stable is the company that produces this package? Does it run Mac programs slower than Mac? I would appreciate your comments. Sincerely, Bill Johnston
rehrauer@apollo.HP.COM (Steve Rehrauer) (06/01/90)
In article <4690@uafhp.uark.edu> wgj@uafhcx.uucp (Bill Johnston) writes: >A freind of mine has been asking me about Specter. His buisness wants to >install Mac's to do their publishing. However, beset with a shortage of >funds they would like to know if installing Atari's with the Specter board >and software is a good idea. No knocks on Spectre (I don't own one), but it doesn't seem wise to base a business on something "nearly compatible". Personal use, yes. Business internal use, perhaps. But if by "their publishing" you mean anything that goes out the door, I'd suggest they probably shouldn't go the emulator route. Or at they very least, that they thoroughly test the software they want to run, on the Spectre, before jumping into it in a big way. Again, nothing against ST's or Spectres or the combination; but if it were my business, I'd be pretty conservative where my workaday bottom- line equipment was concerned. (On the other hand, what publishing software do they want? Perhaps there's something comparable on the native ST side? I hear good things about Calamus...) -- >>"Aaiiyeeee! Death from above!"<< | (Steve) rehrauer@apollo.hp.com "Spontaneous human combustion - what luck!"| Apollo Computer (Hewlett-Packard)
warningm@ure.CS.ORST.EDU (WARNING) (06/02/90)
In article <4abdab40.20b6d@apollo.HP.COM> rehrauer@apollo.HP.COM (Steve Rehrauer) writes: >In article <4690@uafhp.uark.edu> wgj@uafhcx.uucp (Bill Johnston) writes: >>A freind of mine has been asking me about Specter. His buisness wants to >>install Mac's to do their publishing. However, beset with a shortage of >>funds they would like to know if installing Atari's with the Specter board >>and software is a good idea. > >No knocks on Spectre (I don't own one), but it doesn't seem wise to >base a business on something "nearly compatible". Personal use, yes. Just thought I'd support the other side... I DO own Spectre and I think the phrase "nearly compatible" is a little bit misleading. I have found it to be compatible with EVERY macintosh application that I cared to try. The only stumbling block is that copy-protected software won't work. Anyway, the point is that it's no less compatible than your average PC clone. (The fact that you're using macintosh roms probably help with that...) Mike Warning warningm@ure.cs.orst.edu
rmacgreg@cs.strath.ac.uk (Sorcerer) (06/04/90)
The Spectre GCR is really the one you want, so in reply to your questions: >How compatible does this make the Atari to the Mac? Pretty much totally software compatibile, though obviously you cannot fit in any Mac cards or run some of the Colour software. >Will this package continue to be supported? As far as I am aware, yes. >How stable is the company that produces this package? About as stable as you are gonna get. They have been around for a while, and should be with us for some time to come. >Does it run Mac programs slower than Mac? That depends on which Mac you are talking about, but it is a bit faster than the Mac + and Fat Macs. The Sorcerer