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Text File
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1989-04-05
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8KB
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183 lines
/¯¯¯\ /¯¯¯/¯¯¯/ / / /¯¯¯¯¯\ /¯¯¯¯¯\
/ / / / / /
\ / / / / / THIS MONTH
\ / / / /---- /---- ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
\ / / / / / SOME
/ / / / / /
\___/ / /______/ _/_ _/_ ST HISTORY
≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡ & NONSENSE ≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡ No 4 ≡≡≡
__________________________________
ST AND AMIGA - ARE THEY RELATED?
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Here is a look back to some dramatic events from 1984/85 involving two
computer giants and a man called Jack Tramiel...
Jack Tramiel left Commodore (the company he built from a typewriter
repair shop) in early 1984 for 'personal reasons' although he said he
would remain on as advisor. But he, along with his sons, took over
Commodores' loss making rival, Atari, in June of that year. By October,
US observers were reporting Atari would produce a 16 bit 'Macintosh
type' computer based around the Motorola 68000 and feature 256k RAM and
high quality sound & graphics.
It was also reported that these specifications were similar to a home
micro called the Lorraine being developed by a company called Amiga, who
had just been bought by Commodore. In fact, Atari, in it's pre-Tramiel
days, had paid the Amiga company to develop some custom sound and
graphic chips for them. But Amiga later returned the cash and said it
had not been able to develop them. Atari responded by suing Amiga, just
days before news broke that Commodore had bought up Amiga.
If Tramiel hadn't left Commodore and gone over to Atari, it could have
been possible that Atari would have launched it's new 16 bit micro with
those chips, the Atari Amiga could have been born! But without Tramiel
and his bigs plans (and investments) for Atari, the loss making company
may not have launched any new micro at all.
Incidentally, The Lorraines' specifications at that time included 128k
RAM, 320k built in drive, built in 300 baud modem, 4096 colours and 4
channel sound. Some things have changed, no doubt the disk and RAM
capacity were upgraded after the early ST's were launched.
FIRST ST's REVIEWED
In the spring of 1985, the press got to review the long awaited Atari ST
'Jacintosh' (JACk tramiels macINTOSH). They had a preview of the new
machine at Januarys CES show in Las Vegas, where interestingly, a 130ST
with 128k RAM was on show alongside the now familiar 520ST. The 130ST
was never sold though. It was widely regarded that Atari stole the show
with their new ST's.
Personal Computer News (a weekly now defunct) reviewed the new Atari ST
in May. The cover has a picture of the ST with the huge headline 'ATARIs
DREAM MACHINE'. Of course, the machine reviewed was an 520 ST with no
built in modulator or disk drive and the case was smaller lengthways
because of this. The Midi ports were round the back and the
mouse/joystick ports were where the disk drive now is, I.E. highly
accessable! Needless to say, the new machine, got the thumbs up, apart
from the price tag.
____________________________________________
SOFTWARE COMPANIES ABANDONED ST - IN 1985!
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We hear nowadays of software producers deserting the ST in favour of the
Amiga (& PC) but I have discovered this is nothing new. One of the
reports on the 'new' ST from April 1985 (before it had been launched)
says one US software house was not planning to write ST software but was
for the Amiga (also in it's infancy then). Electronic Arts also said it
would be concentrating more on the Amiga with 'some titles' for the ST.
As it turned out, the ST with better prices and advertising easily won
the sales war over the Amiga for a number of years.
__________
TV GAMES
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Gamesmaster is back on TV for another series, but hasn't changed it's
format - 'celebrity' game challenges and a few console tips is about all
you get. Not forgetting of course Dominik Diamond's double entendres
(usually involving joysticks). However a new show, in the unlikely form
of Bad Influence, has just started and has more content than GM. It is
shown at 4.45pm so unless you're still at school (or unemployed) you
won't normally see it. But despite being targetted at kids it is more
watchable than GM.
BBC AXES SHOW
Still with TV, the BBC has axed a computer slot in it's new 'youth
magazine' show, 100%. In fact the whole show has been dumped due to
financial constraints. The Beeb are however looking into the possibility
of a dedicated games/computer show.
PAGE THE TELETEXT
I have just been informed of two teletext services that operate a
computer section. Oracle on Channel 4 page 568 has a daily service,
while MTV text on satellite has a weekly service on pages 220-226.
----------------------
THE BITCHIN' CONTINUES
----------------------
Last issue we were amused by copies of mailshots two of the monthlies
were sending around their advertisers.
Seems its turned a wee bit nasty...
EUROPRESS writes...
================
September 8, 1992
Dear Advertiser,
In June, the publishing company Emap Images wrote to our advertisers
claiming that sales of Atari ST User would plunge because the title had
gone on firm sales at newsagents, after having been on sale or return
title.
Emap have since admitted that their claims were not based on any survey.
The attached letter from Emap is self explanatory.
Emap have also agreed to pay our full costs in this matter.
Yours sincerely,
Jane Conway
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
EMAP confesses...
==============
6th August 1992
Dear Atari ST User,
You have drawn our attention to a mailout we issued in June in which we
commented on your decision to go on firm sale from July. We expressed
certain opinions about that decision.
I am happy to acknowledge on behalf of EMAP Images that those opinions
were not based on any survey, and that Europress Enterprises disagrees
with our predictions.
Garry Williams
Atari ST Review
__________
SNIPPETS
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* Why do some programmers disable the Ctrl-Alt-Del reset on the STE? Do
they think it's clever? It's not so stop it please - it was put there
for a good reason!
* The New Atari Falcon has made it's French Debut at the Paris show,
Supergames 92 on November 4th.
* News is reaching me that some software houses are now abandoning the
Amiga in favour of the PC! Infogrammes are the first, Sierra is
reviewing it's commitment to the machine.
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That's all the STUFF & NONSENSE there is for now, |¯¯\ | | /¯¯\
but there will be more in the next issue! | | | | |__/
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