laird@think.com (Laird Popkin) (03/16/91)
There are a few interesting rumors regarding the Atari Portfolio that I thought some people here might be interested in. I don't own one, but I've been following it's progress with much interest, as I think it's pretty cool that you can get a DOS machine that runs on AA batteries for weeks and is so small you can carry it everywhere _and_ sell it for under $400. 1) Atari has a 512K Portfolio in the works, with the same display, keyboard, and so on. This has been repeated by a number of sources, so I expect that this is true. The only remaining question is whether this will replace the 128K Portfolio or extend the "family." 2) Reportedly WordPerfect Corp. is working on a PF port of WordPerfect (the word processor). The 128K PF could run even that huge word processor, since the program can execute from ROM. If this happens, I can see that (1) the Portfolio will sell like crazy into the corporate market, since people could use WP on the PF, then plug a RAM card into the RAM card drive in their PC (it's cheap) and simply use their documents in WP on their desktop machine. And WP would sell lots of copies (if it's not terribly expensive) since it would be cheaper to buy the ROM card than to buy a large enough RAM card to store the program. Everybody wins. 3) There may be a PF with a larger display and keyboard in the future. This loses the PF's handheld status, but makes it a more generally useful machine for people who don't place as much of a premium on portability. - Laird Popkin
silvert@cs.dal.ca (Bill Silvert) (03/16/91)
In article <1991Mar15.223951.10519@Think.COM> laird@think.com (Laird Popkin) writes: >2) Reportedly WordPerfect Corp. is working on a PF port of WordPerfect (the I just got the WP newsletter, and the Poquet port exists, so presumably they are interested in the handheld market. But is the Pofo screen big enough to make it worthwhile? I have a couple of machines I sometimes drag around with me, including a Pofo as well as the R/S 100 and 200, and I find it a lot simpler to use the built-in editors and just import into WP when I get home or to work. If I could only solve the problems of getting files from the Pofo into my ST over the parallel port life would be a lot simpler! -- William Silvert, Habitat Ecology Division, Bedford Inst. of Oceanography P. O. Box 1006, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, CANADA B2Y 4A2. Tel. (902)426-1577 UUCP=..!{uunet|watmath}!dalcs!biomel!bill BITNET=bill%biomel%dalcs@dalac InterNet=bill%biomel@cs.dal.ca
laird@think.com (Laird Popkin) (03/19/91)
In article <1991Mar16.151110.21732@cs.dal.ca> bill%biomel@cs.dal.ca writes: >In article <1991Mar15.223951.10519@Think.COM> laird@think.com (Laird Popkin) writes: > >I have a couple of machines I sometimes drag around with me, including a >Pofo as well as the R/S 100 and 200, and I find it a lot simpler to use >the built-in editors and just import into WP when I get home or to work. >If I could only solve the problems of getting files from the Pofo into >my ST over the parallel port life would be a lot simpler! > There is a program for the ST (available on GEnie, and I would assume elsewhere) that is claimed to allow the ST to transfer data with a Portfolio via the parallel port, through use of a special cable. The file includes instructions on building the cable. > >-- >William Silvert, Habitat Ecology Division, Bedford Inst. of Oceanography >P. O. Box 1006, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, CANADA B2Y 4A2. Tel. (902)426-1577 >UUCP=..!{uunet|watmath}!dalcs!biomel!bill >BITNET=bill%biomel%dalcs@dalac InterNet=bill%biomel@cs.dal.ca Laird Popkin, Thinking Machines usenet = laird@think.com Citanet = laird@Blade
rzv30@cccvm.ccc.amdahl.com (Rene Vega) (03/21/91)
I suppose you could use the parallel port adapter. I opted for the serial port
adapter then picked up an xmodem transfer program called, XTERM2. It's
available on Compu$erve or on the Atari bbs. I can now transfer files from my
portfolio to my Mac, my Amiga, and a PC.
Rene Vega | rzv30@juts.amdahl.com
| (408) 746-7157