[comp.sys.atari.st] Flame to Atari

bryan@ihnet.ATT.COM (b. k. delaney) (08/02/87)

This is an open flame to Atari inc!

The idea of charging $100.00 for that crap you call
documentation makes me laugh!  How can any serious computer
company call it documentation. It is nothing but a bunch of
notes an overworked engineer probably kept when he/she was
developing the ST.  I was given the documentation by a
developer a while back, took one look at it and put it in the
recycle bin and bought the equally lousy Abacus books. 

I fear Atari is going to be in a world of trouble "in 1.5 years"
if they Don't spend some of the damn profits on more R&D!! 
Hey Jack look what happend to Chrysler Corp. when money was
pumped back to the stock holders while next to nothing was
being spend on new product development!! 

Remeber it is possible to have to High a profit margin. It
can look really good at first but if the profits come at the
expense of new product development or customer service or other
things that don't show up as profits on the next quater then you
are making the same stupid mistake Chrysler did a few years back.

As far as I can tell Atari has sat on their ASS for 2 years while
telling us of new things that will be out real soon. for example:

1> The Atari PC 
	(I don't think it is a real product only an
	atempt to steal Commodores thunder when they anounced
	their PC)
	
2> The Blitter Chip
3> Good Documentation for the ST 
4> 8 Slot device for the ST
5> The CD ROM device  (I can buy a CD player for $129.00 can't you)
6> The 32 bit TT computer
7> GEM draw
8> GEM write
9> A new BASIC
10> the AMY sound chip (At least you tell the truth and put no date on it)
11> 80 Column card for the 8 bit computers
12> 3.5 inch drive for the 8 bit computers
13> MS-DOS emulator box for the ST
14> A Fix for the 40 folder Limit (Leaked out software does not count)


You guys have had GEM for about 2 years that should have been plenty
of time to re write the whole damn thing, if that is what it takes
to fix the 40 folder bug.  I am Pissed to the Max that the MEGA ST 
computers don't fix this problem and I will never buy a Mega until 
it is fixed. 

You can't really use the ST a a development machine if you have to
worry about how many damn folders you have!!


				A pissed off user
				Bryan K Delaney
				ihnp4!ihnet!bryan
				
p.s. My remarks are not the views of anybody but me and
many Atari customers who are really tired of vapor ware.

appelbau@topaz.rutgers.edu (Marc L. Appelbaum) (08/11/87)

In article <561@ihnet.ATT.COM> bryan@ihnet.ATT.COM (b. k. delaney) writes:

> This is an open flame to Atari inc!

> 10> the AMY sound chip (At least you tell the truth and put no date on it)
> 11> 80 Column card for the 8 bit computers
> 12> 3.5 inch drive for the 8 bit computers

The 80 column card is on it's way here.  I actually saw one in
Allentown at the AtariFEST in March.  It has also been shown at just
about every show since.  No, if the boot had a warp speed...

As for the 3.5" drive, the idea was scrapped because of lack of
support from developers.  Since then a 5 1/4" DSDD was introduced for
the 8bit.  OSS is writting the DOS (ADOS).

Atari has done a few things, but I do agree with the rest of the
flame.  If Atari wants the ST to be a devolpement machine then WRITE
SOME GOOD DOC'S.  Look at the Mac, I HATE THE MACHINE, but there
developers DOC is excellent!  So come on Atari, start writing!
-- 
 -Marc L. Appelbaum 				
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