NEVES@Mit-Mc@sri-unix (08/06/82)
From: David M Neves <NEVES@Mit-Mc> There is news of at least a couple of computer manufacturers slashing their prices. There was a story in several financial papers a few days ago about how TI is going to reduce the price of the 44/a by $100 (to $199 retail) starting in Sept. In some info-atari mail it was rumored that the Atari 400 will be reduced to $150 in a couple of weeks. I have a gripe about all these soon-to-be-under-$200 machines. I am worried that more emphasis will be played on the video game playing capabilities rather than computational capabilities. This lack of emphasis will result in lack of software, lack of cheap floppies, and horrible keyboards. Look at the Atari 400 for example. Fantastic graphics. However, it clearly is oriented to games. If one wanted to write programs one has to buy a BASIC cartridge, cassette recorder, and has to suffer with the flat keyboard that wasn't really meant for typing. What should the real home computer have? This is my list. You may disagree. 1. Regular keyboard layout with keys that go up and down. The VIC is the only one that has this (I don't know anything about the Trash-80 color computer). 2. Color (all the cheap computers have this) 3. Built in language (i.e. BASIC). Atari doesn't have this but it can be purchased. 4 . Floppies. I consider cassette tape to be inadequate for program storage. It is too slow and error prone. The problem is that floppy storage is still too expensive for the micros. You're talking 500-600 bucks for that first floppy. 5. Communication capabilities (ie. RS232 interface for a coupler). I think the Trash-80 system has it built in, the VIC has a cheap addition one can buy, TI 44/a has expensive addition as does the Atari 400. There is a cheap direct connect modem for $100 (Signalman -- it is battery powered). 6. Total system cost should be in the range of a stereo, i.e. under $600.
Tyson@Sri-Ai@sri-unix (08/07/82)
From: Mabry Tyson <Tyson@Sri-Ai>
In response to NEVES@MIT-MC:
I disagree with a few points of your note. While I am skeptical of Atari
dropping its 400 price by 50%, I would be delighted if they did. It would
make it cheap enough for me to consider buying a second machine. I already
have a 800 with all the goodies.
I consider the lack of a built-in language a PLUS! Suppose I wanted to use
Microsoft Basic rather than Atari's (actually I prefer Atari's Basic), then
why should I pay for Atari's Basic? What if I only want to use PILOT or
FORTH or C or PASCAL (no, I'm not that masochistic) or even just the assembly
language?
"This lack of emphasis {on computational capabilities} will result in lack
of software, lack of cheap floppies, and horrible keyboards." I know Atari
will be pushing software for games rather than, say, text editors for the
the foreseeable future, but if you wanted to get rich and famous, would you
want to write a text editor for the Apple machines or for the Atari when there
are 20 times as many Ataris out there? Wouldn't it be more profitable for
a hardware manufacturer to produce a floppy (or a hard disk) for Atari even
though only 20% of the Ataris have disk drives rather than for Apple?
(I grant it will be harder to separate the junk (poorly written/designed)
programs for the Atari from the good ones because there will be more programs.)
I believe that TI's price drop is out of desparation - the TI99 has been a
flop. Last December's price drop for the Ataris and any future price drops
will probably come as a result of savings because of the quantity sold.
As for the keyboard: An 800 keyboard can be attached to the 400. I wouldn't
be too surprised if someone other than Atari starts supplying these. (Atari
does NOT sell them but you can find some surplus ones.)
(For those who do not know, the 400 and 800 are computationally identical.
The differences include the keyboard, only one cartridge slot on the 400 (but
no one uses the second one on the 800), and the memory card and OS are harder
to get at on the 400. There are some hardware products by other vendors that
require the memory slots that only the 800 has. But the price difference is
about $600-$700.)
I think proper complaints about the Atari might include the fact that there is
no easy way to get at the bus, serial i/o is slower than parallel, and the
company's policy of charging so much for software (but so does everyone else).
I believe Atari sees their hardware products (VCS, 400, 800) as Gillette(?)
saw their razors. You can afford to give them away if you make all your money
on what goes into them!
-------wagner (08/09/82)
"total cost should be in the range of a stereo - about $600" I wasnt aware that you could buy anything you would be willing to subject your ears to for $600 these days. Seems in audio, anything less than about a grand (canadian, so maybe call it $800 of your dollars this week) before the tape recorder(s) is a waste of time and effort to buy. Probably similar things can be said about micros. Michael Wagner