mikeb@tekfdi.FDI.TEK.COM (Mike Boyce) (10/28/89)
I do not like the way Atari decided to keep everything a secret
about the ST. The developer's documentation (which I have) is useless.
I am glad I didn't have to pay the hundreds of dollars the computer's
former owner had to pay for them. I wish that Atari would release a
complete set of manuals for the ST that anyone could buy like Commodore
did for the Amiga. In this way Atari could set standards that everyone
would follow.
The GEM operating system seems very clumsy to me. This is probably
due to the documentation on the ST being incomplete. I say this
because some VDI calls are not present and others simply don't work as
the DRI books say they should. (Remember v_opnvwk() and the work_in
array?) It's a good thing I got MWC because it had all of that in it's
lexicon.
I do have 2 suggestions about how to improve Atari's image:
1. Release a complete and accurate set of manuals that doesn't
cost $500.00 like the developers documentation did.
2. Take an idea for the NeXT computer. Bundle gcc and g++ with
the ST. This would be taken as a positive effort on Atari's
part since a computer is useless without software.
If Atari does not correct the problem with the bad documentation I will
buy another computer and it will not be an Atari. I simply will not put
up with inadequate documentaion. If this is corrected then I will buy
another machine from Atari with more memory since I do like the ST.
If anyone feels that they must send me flames please send them to the
address in my .signature since this is a borrowed account.
====================================================================
Dan Wilson <danw@shadow.FDI.TEK.COM>