¢FUTURA EDITORIAL¢Issue 15 - May/June 1995¢¢¢ Most Atari 8-bit users will, at some stage, upgrade to another system. However, this needn't be the end of their relationship with the world's greatest ever computer system...¢¢¢¢THE 3-WAY JUNCTION¢by Stuart J. Murray, NOSAUG¢¢ Last weekend, David, a local NOSAUG member, asked me if he should keep his Atari 8-bit after he receives delivery of his new DX2/66 PC. His question sparked this Editorial.¢¢ David had recently paid a visit to the PC World superstore in Aberdeen. Planning to just have a look around, he soon found himself amazed by the huge variety of PC hardware and software. Ninety minutes after entering the store, he had purchased a PC system.¢¢ Having been an Atari 8-bit user for three and a half years, David now finds himself at the crucial 3-way junction in his personal computing road. His current options are as follows:¢¢1. Keep his Atari 8-bit and continue to use it alongside his new computer.¢¢2. Confine his Atari 8-bit to a cardboard box.¢¢3. Sell his Atari 8-bit.¢¢ Obviously, I advised David to keep his 8-bit. I'm confident that after he has explored his PC he will continue to use his XL/XE. An Atari 8-bit can live together with any system!¢¢ Over the past ten years we have lost thousands of Atari 8-bit users to Options 2 and 3 above. Option 2 is not so bad. I've heard from many Atari 8-bitters about how they stopped using their XL/XE when they upgraded, only to find themselves digging it out of the loft after a couple of years.¢¢ Option 3 is serious, although not fatal. If someone sells their XL/XE after moving over to a PC there is far less a chance of them returning. If the 8-bit remains in the house, albeit stored away, there is always going to be a time in the future when it is pulled out "for old time's sake". After this is done, many 8-bits will remain out of the box with the user wondering why he ever put it there in the first place. However, if an XL/XE is sold, there is nothing left to rekindle the spark. It's not fatal though. The user can always purchase a second-hand system from the local newspaper or Micro Mart. However, this takes a conscious decision and one which the user is unlikely to make if he is happy with his new computer.¢¢ If, at any stage in the future, someone you know upgrades to a PC, ST, Amiga or Mac, advise him/her to consider the options above and try to avoid Option 3 (selling your 8-bit) if possible. In other words, keep the 8-bit! Preferably on the computer desk, but at least in a cardboard box up in the loft. Advise them to keep it for that sunny day when they return to the fold.¢¢ David has decided to keep his 130XE and 810 for now. He's going to pack them away into a box while he explores his new PC. I've assured him that I'll keep reminding (hassling!) him about his 130XE for as long as it takes to get it out of the box and back onto his computer desk. The Atari 8-bit is a fighter which cannot be caged for long! It is a fighter which will live on with or without it's original user!¢
