Megalextoria
Retro computing and gaming, sci-fi books, tv and movies and other geeky stuff.

Home » Archive » net.micro.atari » Toy Computers
Show: Today's Messages :: Show Polls :: Message Navigator
E-mail to friend 
Switch to threaded view of this topic Create a new topic Submit Reply
Toy Computers [message #282572] Fri, 10 January 1986 09:22 Go to next message
Anonymous
Karma:
[b]Originally posted by:[/b] [email=godden@GMR.CSNET (Kurt Godden)]godden[/email]
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.8601101528.AA25615
Posted: Fri Jan 10 09:22:00 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 11-Jan-86 02:58:38 EST
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The ARPA Internet
Lines: 7

For he who can't help but think of a <$400 computer as being a toy:

You must have thought the original Atari 800 was one mean number cruncher
since it was priced over (?) $1000.  I'm sure glad I bought mine when the
price was still up to $500, or else I would have just gotten a toy.
By the way, I didn't know the hospital ward you're in had access to
electronic mail...
Re: Toy Computers [message #282597 is a reply to message #282572] Sat, 11 January 1986 13:42 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Anonymous
Karma:
[b]Originally posted by:[/b] [email=MRC%PANDA@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA (Mark Crispin)]MRC%PANDA[/email]
Article-I.D.: PANDA.12174433790.8.MRC
Posted: Sat Jan 11 13:42:11 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 12-Jan-86 13:02:26 EST
References: 
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The ARPA Internet
Lines: 21


     Kurt Godden's comment about hospital wards is the latest of a
series of childish and immature messages which have plagued the
INFO-ATARI list of late.

     This is very reminiscant of the Atari user's groups of the
early 80's, which insisted Atari was doing everything splendidly
and the few people who argued otherwise were lonely voices in the
wilderness.

     A serious concern -- that selling the ST in toy stores at
toy store prices will lead to the overwhelming preponderance of
ST software being toy software -- is trivialized by suggesting
that anybody who dares to have such concerns must be in a mental
hospital.  If you want to advertise the Amiga I can't think of a
better way than the current cat-fighting.

     There is a difference between a cheap and an inexpensive
computer.  The ST was promoted as being inexpensive, but it sure
looks like it really is just another cheap computer.
-------
Re: Toy Computers [message #282610 is a reply to message #282572] Mon, 13 January 1986 19:00 Go to previous messageGo to next message
oz is currently offline  oz
Messages: 78
Registered: February 2013
Karma: 0
Member
Article-I.D.: yetti.297
Posted: Mon Jan 13 19:00:39 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 13-Jan-86 21:08:29 EST
References:  <12174433790.8.MRC@PANDA>
Reply-To: oz@yetti.UUCP (Ozan Yigit)
Organization: York University Computer Science
Lines: 47
Summary: 

In article <12174433790.8.MRC@PANDA> MRC%PANDA@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA (Mark Crispin) writes:
[color=blue]>      This is very reminiscant of the Atari user's groups of the[/color]
[color=blue]> early 80's, which insisted Atari was doing everything splendidly[/color]
[color=blue]> and the few people who argued otherwise were lonely voices in the[/color]
[color=blue]> wilderness.[/color]
[color=blue]> [/color]
	I do not think so. Time and time again, majority turned out to be
	RIGHT, and those lonely voices were wrong. This may prove to be 
	such a case. 

[color=blue]>      A serious concern -- that selling the ST in toy stores at[/color]
[color=blue]> toy store prices will lead to the overwhelming preponderance of[/color]
[color=blue]> ST software being toy software ..[/color]
	Who writes the so-called "Toy Software" ??  Highschool
	hackers ?? Neighborhood cabbies, Aunt Gwendolyn ??
	And why is it such a serious concern ??? Is there some
	sort of a class difference between programs written by
	those of us lucky enough to have VAXen spread out in our
	machine room, and those written by a highschool nerd in
	his basement C64 ?? Remember that highschool nerd who
	broke into Lawrence-Livermore Labs ?? Did you know
	the JOVE was originally written in Lincoln-Sudbury
	highschool ?? But you perhaps know that professional
	programmers could churn out just as much crap as any other
	non-professional programmer (such as the cabbie) with the
	difference that the former is probably more dangerous.
	If lotsa kids get their hands onto an ST instead of a
	retarded C64, I am sure we will see more imaginative stuff,
	not TOY SOFTWARE.
[color=blue]> [/color]
[color=blue]>      There is a difference between a cheap and an inexpensive[/color]
[color=blue]> computer.  The ST was promoted as being inexpensive, but it sure[/color]
[color=blue]> looks like it really is just another cheap computer.[/color]
[color=blue]> [/color]
	Ah.. this must be the standard "class" oriented thinking.
	If it does not cost you your left arm, and it is not sold
	by an obnoxious salesman, it cannot be all that good.

	Think about it: your VT220 costs more than an atari ST.
	and it is not even programmable. :-)

OZ
-- 
Usenet: [decvax|allegra|linus|ihnp4]!utzoo!yetti!oz
Bitnet: oz@[yusol|yuyetti]
		In the beginning, there was Word all right, except
		it wasn't fixed number of bits.
Re: Toy Computers [message #282735 is a reply to message #282572] Thu, 16 January 1986 11:16 Go to previous messageGo to next message
freed is currently offline  freed
Messages: 38
Registered: October 1985
Karma: 0
Member
Article-I.D.: aum.426
Posted: Thu Jan 16 11:16:18 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 18-Jan-86 09:01:29 EST
Organization: The Aurora Systems Bunch
Lines: 11


One thing that has been missing from these discussions is the great potential
the "toy" St now has for education. High schools can afford a good many STs
and can therefore make them available to more students. I wish that there
had been a $300 68000 machine when I was in high school...
-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                           Erik James Freed
			   Aurora Systems
			   San Francisco, CA
			   {dual,ptsfa}!aum!freed
Re: toy computers [message #282742 is a reply to message #282572] Fri, 17 January 1986 11:09 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Anonymous
Karma:
[b]Originally posted by:[/b] [email=info-atari@ucbvax.UUCP]info-atari[/email]
Article-I.D.: mitre-be.8601171609.AA25371
Posted: Fri Jan 17 11:09:21 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 19-Jan-86 03:47:18 EST
References: <6279@tektronix.UUCP>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The MITRE Corp., Bedford, MA
Lines: 14

I can't resist putting my two cents worth (if that) on the "toy computer"
issue.  A lot of big minicomputers have "external power supplies" - they just
rack mount them with the cpu.  Personally, I think it's clever to package the
power supply as simply as they have.  My only objection is the proliferation
of little transformers if you run a lot of peripherals, and there's an easy
solution to that: spend a hundred bucks or so and buy an industrial grade
power supply which you can mount out of sight and run cables to all the little
boxes.  Shucks, you can even rack mount the power supply if you want.  That
would only increase the price $500 or so.

If a PDP-11/70 is a toy then the ST is a toy.

						-John Sangster
						jhs at mitre-bedford.arpa
Re: Toy Computers [message #282784 is a reply to message #282572] Thu, 16 January 1986 13:42 Go to previous messageGo to next message
doug is currently offline  doug
Messages: 117
Registered: May 2013
Karma: 0
Senior Member
Article-I.D.: terak.994
Posted: Thu Jan 16 13:42:15 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 20-Jan-86 05:38:05 EST
References:  <12174433790.8.MRC@PANDA>
Organization: Calcomp Display Products Division, Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Lines: 16

[color=blue]>       A serious concern -- that selling the ST in toy stores at[/color]
[color=blue]>  toy store prices will lead to the overwhelming preponderance of[/color]
[color=blue]>  ST software being toy software -- is trivialized by suggesting[/color]
[color=blue]>  that anybody who dares to have such concerns must be in a mental[/color]
[color=blue]>  hospital.[/color]

Why should anyone get upset over the "toy computer" name?  Let's be
honest here:  both the Amiga and the 520 ST are toy computers, as
are virtually all "home" (as opposed to "office") computers.  I
don't mean that they have minimal capabilities, I mean that they
will be used for personal amusement.

Whether that amusement is in playing games or in hacking, I don't think
there's a difference.  The computer is being used as a plaything.
-- 
Doug Pardee -- CalComp -- {hardy,savax,seismo,decvax,ihnp4}!terak!doug
Re: toy computers [message #282843 is a reply to message #282572] Mon, 20 January 1986 10:38 Go to previous message
ray is currently offline  ray
Messages: 49
Registered: May 2013
Karma: 0
Member
Article-I.D.: rocheste.14660
Posted: Mon Jan 20 10:38:41 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 23-Jan-86 21:04:07 EST
References: <6279@tektronix.UUCP>
Organization: U. of Rochester, CS Dept.
Lines: 14

[color=blue]>  As much as I am seriously considering a ST for some serious[/color]
[color=blue]>  uses, I still can't help thinking of any small computer as[/color]
[color=blue]>  a toy that uses an external power supply and that has its[/color]
[color=blue]>  cpu in the keyboard.[/color]

Logic:
Small computers are toys.
All computers are getting smaller.
Thus, all computers will become toys.

Solution:
Bring back the vaccuum tubes.

ray
  Switch to threaded view of this topic Create a new topic Submit Reply
Previous Topic: unsubscribe
Next Topic: Plea for Help
Goto Forum:
  

-=] Back to Top [=-
[ Syndicate this forum (XML) ] [ RSS ] [ PDF ]

Current Time: Fri Mar 29 03:59:53 EDT 2024

Total time taken to generate the page: 1.13613 seconds