hearth@cory.Berkeley.EDU (Don Hearth) (03/16/89)
I am not trying to start a flame war. I recently obtained $1300 from a deceased relative and decided to get a better computer than my C-64. I am trying to decide between an Atari ST and a Amiga, but I know very little about either ( or computers in general ). I plan to use this computer about 80% for games and 20% for everything else, so good games and graphics are a factor. Could anybody who has knowledge of either, or preferably both, of these computers please e-mail me advice? I would appreciate the wisdom of these newsgroups. I will also pass on the results, if anybody else is interested. Thanks in advance. Don Hearth hearth@cory
Sentry@cup.portal.com (Marcus Hungor Tran) (03/19/89)
I own an Atari 1040 ST for over a year, and an Amiga500 for three months. They are both the best computers for games. Graphics are generally the same on both computers, although the Amiga has better resolutions and more colors on screen at the same time. You have to look VERY carefully to see the difference since most games are written for low resolution. The sound is deffinitely better on the Amiga. It has stereo output (which Atari forgot to put in the ST) and stereo monitor. Most games for Amiga are in stereo and have digitized sounds, taking advantage of the voice synthensizer which the Atari doesn't have. Sounds like I'm bias toward the Amiga? Not really. There are more games available for the ST (althoug h the Amiga games are gain fast). Also, since I have the Atari first, I have already own lots of ST games, I only buy games for the Amiga that are not available in ST format. Of course, being a sucker for digitized sounds, I would like to start buying more games for the Amiga. NOTES: I'm speaking as a GAMER now: get the Amiga (ooh, that hurts! Sorry Atari)
to_stdnet@stag.UUCP (03/30/89)
From: omni!emh@stag.UUCP (Eric Hopper) In Message <15996@cup.portal.com> Sentry (Marcus Hungor Tran) writes: ......Stuff deleted..... > Atari forgot to put in the ST) and stereo monitor. Most games for Amiga > are in stereo and have digitized sounds, taking advantage of the voice > synthensizer which the Atari doesn't have. Sounds like I'm bias toward ......Stuff deleted..... > not available in ST format. Of course, being a sucker for digitized sounds, > I would like to start buying more games for the Amiga. NOTES: I'm speaking > as a GAMER now: get the Amiga (ooh, that hurts! Sorry Atari) Atari games are starting to have digitized sound now, and stereo sound is only a tweety board away, but Atari graphics aren't QUITE as good as Amiga graphics. I think that as far as a game machine is concerned the Amiga is the way to go, but if you want a serious computer, especially for sound applications, get an Atari. With it's built in Midi port, you can have Hexadekaphonic sound, it is sad to see that the Amiga has no such capability. If I'm not mistaken, there are even a few games which use the Midi port. (For those who aren't up on their Latin, Hexadekaphonic sound is sixteen channel.) Oh, yes. I haven't mentioned one other application of the Midi port. One of the funnest games I have ever played is called Midi Maze. It sets you, and a whole slew of human opponents (Up to sixteen) in a 3-d maze. The object of the game is to move around the maze and shoot all the other happy faces (other players) into oblivion. This game uses the midi port for cheap networking. I haven't seen any multiplayer games of this scope outside of a mainframe. Have fun, Eric Hopper (Omnifarious) Don't try to send to emh@omni.uucp, because omni is completely unkown to any system except stag. omni!emh@stag.UUCP or ....{rosevax, ems, umn-cs}!pwcs!stag!omni!emh /*****************************************************************************/ /* All opinions presented here are the result of my enviroment, or heredity. */ /* If you don't like them you only have yourselves or my parents to blame. */ /*****************************************************************************/ \**************************/ /) __ \* "I went insane to */ // / ') \* preserve my sanity */ // __. __ o ____. . _ / / ______ ____ o \* for later." */_//__(_/|_/ (_<_(_) (_/_/_)_ (__/ / / / <_/ / <_<_ \* Ford Prefect */ /> \****************/ </ /****************************************************************************/
jdutka@wpi.wpi.edu (John Dutka) (04/01/89)
In article <762@stag.UUCP> you write: >From: omni!emh@stag.UUCP (Eric Hopper) >In Message <15996@cup.portal.com> Sentry (Marcus Hungor Tran) writes: >I think that as far as a game machine is concerned the >Amiga is the way to go, but if you want a serious computer, especially for >sound applications, get an Atari. With it's built in Midi port, you can >have Hexadekaphonic sound, it is sad to see that the Amiga has no such >capability. I beg to differ - the Amiga has tremendous MIDI capabilities - with a very inexpensive MIDI box (as low as $30), AND A MIDI PROGRAM SUCH AS SONIX, DMCS, DR T's, and so on, you can produce amazing results. I had the pleasure to listen to some music by Bach played out over a CZ-101, and it was amazing. As for the hexadekaphonic sound, with most of the MIDI programs, you can support AT LEAST 16 MIDI instruments, so what's the problem? As for the gaming, the only reason the Amiga is good for gaming is the coprocessors make graphics and sound output smooth and amazingly crisp/true-to-life in a personal computer. +----------------------------+--------------+--------------------------+ | John A. Dutka | Worcester | jdutka@wpi.bitnet | | WPI Box 2308 | Polytechnic | jdutka@wpi.wpi.edu | | 100 Institute Rd. | Institute +--------------------------+ | Worcester, Ma 01609-2280 +--------------+ "Power through better | | (508) 792-1949 | VaNdaLs Sack | design and engineering" | +----------------------------+--------------+--------------------------+ | "Take my Worf - PLEASE!" | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ To: to_stdnet@stag.UUCP Subject: Re: I want to buy a new computer! Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st In-Reply-To: <762@stag.UUCP> Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA. USA Cc: Bcc: To: to_stdnet@stag.UUCP Subject: Re: I want to buy a new computer! Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st In-Reply-To: <762@stag.UUCP> Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA. USA Cc: Bcc: In article <762@stag.UUCP> you write: >From: omni!emh@stag.UUCP (Eric Hopper) >In Message <15996@cup.portal.com> Sentry (Marcus Hungor Tran) writes: >I think that as far as a game machine is concerned the >Amiga is the way to go, but if you want a serious computer, especially for >sound applications, get an Atari. With it's built in Midi port, you can >have Hexadekaphonic sound, it is sad to see that the Amiga has no such >capability. I beg to differ - the Amiga has tremendous MIDI capabilities - with a very inexpensive MIDI box (as low as $30), AND A MIDI PROGRAM SUCH AS SONIX, DMCS, DR T's, and so on, you can produce amazing results. I had the pleasure to listen to some music by Bach played out over a CZ-101, and it was amazing. As for the hexadekaphonic sound, with most of the MIDI programs, you can support AT LEAST 16 MIDI instruments, so what's the problem? As for the gaming, the only reason the Amiga is good for gaming is the coprocessors make graphics and sound output smooth and amazingly crisp/true-to-life in a personal computer. +----------------------------+--------------+--------------------------+ | John A. Dutka | Worcester | jdutka@wpi.bitnet | | WPI Box 2308 | Polytechnic | jdutka@wpi.wpi.edu | | 100 Institute Rd. | Institute +--------------------------+ | Worcester, Ma 01609-2280 +--------------+ "Power through better | | (508) 792-1949 | VaNdaLs Sack | design and engineering" | +----------------------------+--------------+--------------------------+ | "Take my Worf - PLEASE!" | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ To: to_stdnet@stag.UUCP Subject: Re: I want to buy a new computer! Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st In-Reply-To: <762@stag.UUCP> Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA. USA Cc: Bcc:
walkerb@tramp.Colorado.EDU (Brian Walker) (04/01/89)
In article <1610@wpi.wpi.edu> jdutka@wpi.wpi.edu (John Dutka) writes: >>[...] With it's built in Midi port, you can >>have Hexadekaphonic sound, it is sad to see that the Amiga has no such >>capability. > >I beg to differ - the Amiga has tremendous MIDI capabilities - with a very >inexpensive MIDI box (as low as $30), AND A MIDI PROGRAM SUCH AS SONIX, DMCS, >DR T's, and so on, you can produce amazing results. I had the pleasure to >listen to some music by Bach played out over a CZ-101, and it was amazing. > From what I have been told, the midi box for the Amiga is simply a cable adapter to the Amiga's serial port. The serial port, as I understand, is driven by the same chip that drives the ST MIDI ports which has a clock frequency and set-up to allow transfer rates at the 32Kbps needed for MIDI. The biggest advantage for the ST, then, is that the MIDI is standard and you don't have to tie-up a serial port to get it. As a result, the ST has a firmer grasp on the MIDI market than any of the competition in the general purpose computer market. Brian Walker, University of Colorado at Boulder walkerb@tramp.colorado.edu ...!{ncar,nbires}!boulder!tramp!walkerb DISCLAIMER: The university does not know half the things I say or post and would very much like to keep it that way.