🚀 go-pugleaf

I've been reading some of the Amiga/MAC debates and wanted
to put in my 2 cents and also ask a question.

My brother and I are both computer enthusiasts.  I started with
a Radio Shack model 1, he started with an Apple ][.  Two years
ago he bought a MAC, then 6 months ago a MAC+.  I bought a CPM
system about 4 years ago, then an Amiga last May.

I thought hard before deciding to put my money out for an Amiga,
so naturally I believe that for me the Amiga is better for the
money.  But there are 3 things that I like better about the MAC.

The first thing is the resolution of text on the screen.  I've
been told by dealers and I think I've heard it on the net that
the MAC's screen looks sharper only because the screen is smaller.
Well, I don't believe that.  I've checked very closely.  If I put
my eyes closer to the MAC screen so that it appears as big as my
Amiga monitor does at normal viewing distance, the MAC text still
looks sharper.  I think it's just the color monitor's fault and
that one day I can upgrade to a better monitor.  But I did just
want to say that with the standard Amiga monitor, text will not
look as sharp as on a MAC.

The 2nd thing I like about the MAC is the clipboard.  Unless I
just haven't found the thing, there is no equivalent on the
Amiga.  I know there is a clipboard.device but I don't know
what it's used for.  The closest thing to a clipboard that I
know of is the Notepad and that's just another word processing
application.

For those of you not familiar with the MAC clipboard, it's
something that's always there and available, regardless of
the application you're running.  With it you can capture text
from one application, store it on this clipboard, and later
"paste" it into another application.  It's one of many desk top
accessories.  I find it *very* useful.

Someone recently mentioned that the Amiga has no desk top accessories.
I think the poster was giving the impression that multi-tasking
removes the need for desk top accessories.  I don't see that.  I would
really like a clipboard like the MAC has.  If such a thing is available,
someone please clue me in.

Another thing I like about the MAC: it has no fan.  My CPM computer
also doesn't have a fan.  I really like that because I don't have to
worry about the fan breaking down.


Now for some things I don't like about the MAC.  I *HATE* it's keyboard.
I get so frustrated and angry with manufacturers who decide to do
their "own" style of key layouts.  I especially hate it when one or
more of the standard ASCII characters is missing.  I hated that about
my old Radio  Shack model 1 computer too, but back then I was happy
just to have A through Z.  When I'm visiting my brother and he lets
me use his MAC to logon to work, I can never find the DEL key.  I
don't know where my brother's been.  He never seems to understand
what I mean by DEL.  I say "DEL!  RUB-OUT! 7-holes! 127! EF! 0177!"
and he says "isn't that just a graphics character?"  So then I find
that I have to stop the display and I go to type a ^S and lo and
behold NO CONTROL KEY!  So he tells me to type COMMAND-SHIFT-SOMETHING-
OR-OTHER.  So I look and lo and behold THERE IS NO KEY LABELED
"COMMAND".

Another thing I don't like about the MAC is being locked in to
that small monitor.  The MAC does have the advantage of being
fairly easy to pack up and take with you, but it seems to me
they could have done that and STILL had the monitor so it
could be removed.

Yet another complaint is the non-standard cables.  I almost
bought a MAC+ at a computer faire because the price was
really good.  But I wouldn't be able to hook it up to my
modem.  The dealer would have to special order a cable for
my bell 212A standard modem.  Now the Amiga's cables aren't
standard either, but the connectors are standard and the
only thing I had to do was cut certain leads out to get a
working serial and a working parallel port cable.  Oh, I
don't know if the monitor cable is standard or not.  I have
no previous experience with color monitors.  At least with
my serial port, I'm glad that Commodore stuck with a standard
DB-25 connector.  Makes getting parts and making your own cables
easy.

Lets see.  What else.  Oh yes.  The mice.  I'm quite neutral
about having a 2 button mouse.  It works fine for me.  I will
say this though.  I believe that novices have it a little
easier learning to use a one button mouse.  One of the first
troubles I see novices having with my Amiga is that they are
pressing the left button when I'm telling them to press the
right button.  Since they're looking at the screen and are not
yet familiar with the feel of the mouse, they can easily think
they're on one button when they're actually on the other.
It doesn't take too long to get used to, but it is a valid point
in favor of the one button mouse.

I shouldn't have to say, but I love having color and I think
multitasking is great.  Boy do I feel good when I'm transferring
a file from work to my Amiga while I'm editing and compiling
something else!  Or copying a disks in the background while
I'm writing letters!

OK that was my two (three?) cents.

Someone please tell me how I can get a clipboard.

Marnix