🚀 go-pugleaf

Well, I just got back from COMDEX, and all I can say is that things look really
good for Atari in 1990.

I just read Dave Beckemeyer's post, and he pretty accurately described was
displayed in the Atari area.  (I wish I would have known Dave was there so I
could have met him...)

However, I was extremely impressed by what I saw.  The TT is *real* altho not
many exist right now.  It is blindingly fast in disk access, the screen redraw
looked as if Turbo ST were installed, but of course that doesn't work on the TT.
The graphics demos they showed were cutesy - a 'monocle' program that showed a
digitized picture of Dave Staugas with a mignifyong glass going over portions
of the picture magnifying it as it passed over.  Cyber Sculpt was running on it
and apparently had no problems.  It ran very fast.

The graphics modes looked really nice, and the resolution really added to the
perceived colors.  I poked around on the hard disk connected to the TT, and
found a fractals program.  This baby flew!  Fractal geometry is inherently slow,
but this thing really zipped along!

On the back were the plethora of ports, SCSI, ASCI, CENTRONICS, SERIAL, monitor,disk drive.  On the left side were the cartridge port, midi, and the SEC (low
speed LAN) port (which was in the shape of the Apple serial connector).  I can
only assume that it was connected to the SEC chip (as the Apple has), but
Antonio Salerno (VP of product/developer support) wouldn't comment on it.  He
just said that when we get ours, we should hook it up and see what happens...
(When we will get ours, we don't know yet...)

I liked the TT, and the case wasn't nearly as bad as I had thought, even after
seeing pictures of it in verious mags...

I want one, and it is a very nice machine!  $3K would include the hard disk,
which is (according to Charles Cherry) is designed to be able to 'pop out' and
be replaced with another.  The cover over it apparently pops open some how. We
couldn't get it open, but we didn't try very hard.

The STe was there.  Nice display, and very nice stereo sound.  It only had a
game running on it, and when I was looking at it, Dave Staugas came over to
put a new one there...  It looked the same as a 1040, except that it had two
jacks on the back for right and left stereo sound, and two additional joystick
ports on the left side.  How many colors were being displayed in the game?
I don't know, but the sound was very excellent.

STacy looked good.  Several of them there.  DeskSet II was being shown, and
apparently is a finished project.  According to Elizabeth Shook (who displayed
DeskSet last year at COMDEX) it was a pet project of Leonard Tramiel, and is
quite done.  They had a real box and everything there...

The IBP industrial mega component system was extremely impressive.  It features
plug in boards (one board is a complete mega) that fits into a chasis that has
VME, EUROBUS compatibilty.  The system is named the 190ST.  I was extremely
impressed by this system.  It looked very respectable and industrial.

The Atari booth was very very nice.  Much better than last years display in
the Gold Room.  As soon as you walked into the West hall, you saw Atari, and
couldn't help but see the Spectre GCR.  The overall feel was much better than
last year, and very professional feeling.  As far as the overall feel of Atari
at the show.  I had no way to judge that.  People already associated with Atari
had the usual remarks.

The LYNX was not displayed because it was not a computer system (sob sob), but
I did get to see it at the developer's party Wednesday night.  Sam Tramiel had
one in a bag he was carrying, and just as he was showing it to some press
people, I walked up to get some food (sneaky, I know).  Actually, I didn't
know he was showing it, but found out when I got up there.  The LYNX is a really
neat gadget!  The color is great, the sound is great, and he was playing it
like a pro.  He said that 100,000 were going to ship at the end of the month to
New York, and it would retail for $169.  I'd like to get one, but it has no
real merit for me.  He did say they expect to have millions made next year.

The new person at Atari that will be helping developers is Charles Cherry, a
loooonng standing veteran of the Atari world.  Charles has been using and
programming Ataris for at least 10 years (since the 400 came out).  I have
had dealings with Charles when he worked at Antic (until the beginning of this
month in fact).  He is quite a guy, and very competent.  He is the right
person to be in charge of developer support.  I had the chance to talk at
length with Charles Wednesday, and he really made me believe that good things
were happening at Atari.  Frankly, I believe him.  He has always done me right
with my dealings with him at Antic.

Among the things announced for registered developers was all Atari hardware
for 50% off!  This is significant.  He also said that he hopes to coordinate
developer efforts, and get them in contact with companies that could help
them along.  He also plans on having a monthly newsletter that the developers
themsleves can use to write and discuss issues in.  Also promised were the
complete userbase listing for Atari registered owners for specific direct
mailings.

This is a few things promised to help the US developers.  Charles had been
refusing the job for well over a year before he finally accepted it.  He said
things were finally to the point that he wanted to go there.  Everything sounds
excellent to me, and I believe it will all come about.  Albeit, things will be
slow at first, and it will take the sincere effort of developers to help out,
but in my opinion (and I have never been really impressed by Atari's past
promises or efforts) 1990 is going to be the year for Atari.  I predict a
strong surge in the US market, but of course, this depends on their getting the
STacy, TT, and (leastly) the LYNX to market.

At the party Wednesday, Sam said honestly, that both were being held up by the
FCC.  This I can believe.

Overall impressions of COMDEX 1989 for Atari:  I'm not gonna sell my ST, I'm
gonna get a TT, and start developing new stuff for it.  Atari is finally serious
and finally has competent people in the right places.

I also got to meet Ken Badertscher and John Townsend.  Both fine fellows!

After last years COMDEX where I didn't feel any strong good feelings about
Atari, this year I am enthused once again!  Atari is gonna come back (I hope).

- mike vederman

The opinions expressed are my own (but the other people that went with me
were equally impressed!) and do not necessarily reflect any other persons
feelings, dead or alive.


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