🚀 go-pugleaf

Received: by NDSUVM1 (Mailer X1.23) id 0013; Fri, 17 Apr 87 11:39:32 CDT
Date:         Fri, 17 Apr 1987 11:25 CDT
From:         Scott Udell <UD140469@NDSUVM1>
Subject:      The experiment ends... (or, Atari's 520ST replacement plan
To:           Digest <INFO-ATARI16@SCORE.STANFORD.EDU>

Well, after 5 weeks, my new 520 from Atari arrived.  That's right, new--I sent
in my sickly old one with it's power supply, and got back a completly new one,
along with new power supply, mouse (now I have an extra!), manuals, etc.  For
only $95 (which includes return shipping), I think this is a great deal,
especially if you have an older model with out the R/F modulator--gives you a
machine of greater resale value when it comes time to upgrade to a MEGA...

   One of the interesting pieces of paper that came along with the system was
a voucher for a copy of the BOS/5 operating system.  Apparently Atari has
worked out a deal with the BOS (either British Operating System or Business
Operating System, depending on who you talk to) people that lets you get a
copy of BOS for "a materials and handling fee only" instead of spending the
usual $45 ($45!  I thought BOS cost somewhere in the area of $300!).  The OS
is available in two versions:  a diskette-based system (1 disk) costing $11.95
($11.95 for materials and handling?) or a hard disk-based system (3 disks)
costing $21.95.  According to the flyer, the "diskette-based system includes
automatic demos, games that illustrate the power of MicroCobol (i.e.,
BOS/Space Invaders, BOS/Othello), and BOS product descriptions."
  Why do I have the feeling that the OS is nearly useless with out some of the
applications programs that they list (like BOS/MicroCobol, BOS/Writer, etc.),
programs that, if I remember correctly, cost quite a bit.  Well, maybe it's
worth it (after all, you do get Space Invaders).  Isn't BOS supposed to be
multi-tasking?  Oh yeah--the BOS/5 User Manual is another $10.

        Scott Udell
        UD140469@NDSUVM1.BITNET
..