🚀 go-pugleaf

[ It's probably stupid to get in the middle of this but, oh well,
  here I go again. :-) ]

One thing I haven't seen brought up in this debate yet is the idea
of "shrink-wrapped configuration".   What I mean by that is the way
somebody can buy a 386 box and the necessary boards and software to
set it up in a certain configuration using "over the counter" stuff
that is easy to get from a wide assortment of vendors and is generally
well supported.

I go into a lot of companies to do consulting where there are a bunch
of different types of computers, mostly running Unix.   The thing about
PC-type 386 boxes is that you can get almost ANYTHING for the damned
things.   Buy a box, somebody's Unix, an ethernet card, a SCSI card,
a graphics card, a scanner card, etc. etc. and you've got a usable
workstation - all with "plug-and-go" stuff, in a usable package.
You've got your PC on your net with your Suns etc. all with relatively
inexpensive and well supported products - and you have a wide choice
of vendors - and it actually works.

From the Atari die-hards in the peanut gallery, you'll hear "yea but you
can do that with the Atari too!".   No way.   I don't ever see Atari
getting the kind of 3rd party software/hardware support we have here
in the USA (maybe none of this applies to Europe, I don't know) for
the PC-type 386 boxes.  As much as I *hate* the Intel junk and PC's
in general, I have to admit that there's no beating them in this area.

A TT with some limited connectivity and 3rd party support will sell
to a limited audience.   There's a lot of catching up to do and I
just don't see Atari spending the resources to do it here in the USA.

Every year Sig says "I'm sorry for the poor support in the USA last
year...  This year we are Really going after the US market."  Hasn't
anyone tired of this yet?   Does anybody still believe Atari gives
a damn about the US market?  Why should they?   The US market couldn't
give a damn about them.
-- 
David Beckemeyer (david@bdt.UUCP)	| "Lester Moore - Four slugs from a .44
Beckemeyer Development Tools		|  no Les, no more."
478 Santa Clara Ave. Oakland, CA 94610	|   - Headstone at Boot Hill
UUCP: {uunet,ucbvax}!unisoft!bdt!david	|     Tombstone, AZ