home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- Path: sparky!uunet!munnari.oz.au!spool.mu.edu!agate!ames!sun-barr!news2me.EBay.Sun.COM!cronkite.Central.Sun.COM!texsun!exucom.exu.ericsson.se!s09a05!exuhag
- From: exuhag@exu.ericsson.se (James Hague)
- Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
- Subject: Re: What makes a computer "exciting"..?
- Message-ID: <1992Dec28.194458.8582@exu.ericsson.se>
- Date: 28 Dec 92 19:44:58 GMT
- References: <72251@cup.portal.com>
- Sender: news@exu.ericsson.se
- Reply-To: exuhag@exu.ericsson.se
- Organization: Ericsson Network Systems, Richardson, TX
- Lines: 35
- Nntp-Posting-Host: s09a05.exu.ericsson.se
- X-Disclaimer: This article was posted by a user at Ericsson.
- Any opinions expressed are strictly those of the
- user and not necessarily those of Ericsson.
-
- Bob_BobR_Retelle@cup.portal.com writes:
- >
- >So, what is it that makes a computer "exciting"...?
-
- IMO "exciting" computers are the ones that let the
- user be in charge. You buy a machine and you can
- decide what to do with it. That was one of the big
- principles of the home computer revolution. Rather
- than having to put up with annoying MIS-oids and
- system administrators, you could type in a word processor
- from a magazine--the key being that you could do whatever
- you wanted yourself. You had choice. That's where all
- the religious computer wars came from, people were
- defending their choices.
-
- The mainstream PC market puts users back in the
- subservient position, or at least very far behind
- corporate interests. You have to upgrade your computer
- when you are told or you won't be able to run the
- latest software. You get tied to particular companies
- and have to respond to their every move. There is
- less competition--only two or three real choices when
- it comes to Windows word processors, for example.
-
- You can dodge this nonsense, of course, making things
- a bit brighter. You can look into alternative products
- from smaller companies that give you more freedom. But
- if you choose this route you are basically in the same
- boat as ST users. You rarely find write-ups of smaller
- products in magazines. The companies don't have flashy
- four-color ads, etc.
-
- --
- James Hague
- exuhag@exu.ericsson.se
-