🚀 go-pugleaf

Gordon Farrell wrote, regarding Darek's relations with Atari:
 
>he explained that the problem dated back to the days when he was working
>in the XFORMER 8-bit emulator.  Atari refused to let him sell it with the
>BIOS chips (I believe he said they wouldn't sell the chips to him in the
>first place).  Darek was less than pleased with this action, and thus began
>his personal vendetta against Atari Corp.

>While I think that Darek has over-reacted a bit to this action by Atari,
>(Dave Small's relations with Apple seem much better Darek and Atari's)

This is all very true, but the actual events go even deeper than
that.   I remember calling a BBS in Kitchner, Ontario so I could
get the latest versions of the "Apple II/Atari 800" emulator
for GEnie.  I thought it was a  *great*  idea.. the perfect
"bridge" that Atari 800 owners needed to make moving to the
ST platform the logical step.  The ST was TOTALLY incompatible
with the 8-bit Atari.. you couldn't even reformat your floppy
disks and reuse them.  An 8-bit owner had NO reason to blindly
buy an ST..  and a lot of them did take the opportunity to look
around at what else was available.  A lot of them ended up going
with the Amiga, since it was the logical successor to the
8-bit Atari.
 
An emulator which would let them use all their old software, and
would even allow them eventually to use their 8-bit disk drives
on a shiny new ST would be just perfect for Atari to support.
 
In typical Atari fashion however, they came out with both barrels
blazing, shooting themselves in both feet at the same time.
 
They couldn't get used to the idea that a teenage kid from
Kitchner, Ontario could not only envision something like this,
but actually make it work.
 
Atari's master of "Public Relations", Neil Harris, publically
called Darek a "little twerp" and said Atari would never deal
with him.
 
So, not because of technical problems, but simply because of
their egos, Atari lost the chance to offer this bridge to their
new computer.  Darek went on in spite of them and made the
emulator work.
 
Nice way to begin a career supporting a particular computer, eh?
 
(Incidentally, not all that many people know this either, but
Atari originally laughed at Dave Small, saying 'who would ever
want to emulate a Macintosh on their ST?'  Stupid idea, wasn't
it...   imagine where we'd be today if Dave Small hadn't gone
on independently, again, in spite of Atari.)
 
As I mentioned before, you have NO idea what it's like trying
to deal with Atari Corp. until YOU have experienced it.
 
BobR