¢EDITORIAL¢Futura Issue 20 - December 1996¢¢¢WE'RE STILL HERE YEAR AFTER YEAR¢¢ With another new year on the horizon the Atari 8-bit continues to march on and on and on. XL/XE computing in the 21st Century is now guaranteed!¢¢ Our user base reduced considerably throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s but has levelled off in the last two or three years. The current user base consists almost entirely of dedicated 8-bitters like yourself. This makes us strong. Strong enough to to sustain many more years of computing.¢¢ With longterm computing in mind it is worth your while investing in some spare hardware. Just check your local press or car boot sale for some terrific bargains. You can pick up an XL/XE system for as little as 10 pounds! I've seen an 800XL with 1050 advertised for 20 pounds! The people selling this hardware do not know its true market value. To them it is simply a way of clearing out some "old" computer stuff.¢¢ It is vital that we keep this hardware in our community. If someone is unsuccessful in selling their 800XL and 1050 for 20 pounds they will simply bin in. It is then lost to us forever.¢¢ Your Atari 8-bit will not last forever. Day to day use will eventually take its toll. Whichever model of Atari 8-bit you use why not buy a spare? If you use a 1050 drive then buy another. If you have a 2-drive system then buy a third! The same goes for printer interfaces, power supplies, cables, touch tablets, etc. Even 5.25" disks are becoming hard to find!¢¢ Buy what you can and expand your 8-bit system at the same time. Let us make sure we keep this hardware for our future.¢¢Stuart J. Murray, NOSAUG.¢
