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From: victoro@crash.cts.com (Victor O'Rear)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac,comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Genie?
Message-ID: <3480@crash.cts.com>
Date: 28 Sep 88 19:03:15 GMT
References: <4788@saturn.ucsc.edu> <861@viscous> <2279@silver.bacs.indiana.edu> <881@viscous> <2340@silver.bacs.indiana.edu> <5631@claris.UUCP>
Reply-To: victoro@crash.CTS.COM (Dr. Snuggles)
Distribution: na
Organization: Crash TS, El Cajon, CA
Lines: 50

In article <5631@claris.UUCP> drc@claris.UUCP (Dennis Cohen) writes:
>
>If you're talking about the differential at 1200 baud, then I think that GEnie
>is a definite price-performance winner; however, if you're running at 2400,
>then CI$ becomes the big win.  There are far more 2400 baud CI$ nodes, they
>are still 12.50/hr, and you can get there at that rate 24 hr/day.  GEnie, on
>the other hand has a paucity of 2400 baud nodes, they cost more per hour, and
>every one I have been able to find has a $10 or $12/hr "surcharge" added. 

On another service, this argument was said on the service I belong to...

  In response to BYTE being MS-DOS, I usually ask the accusser when
he or she last read BYTE. In your case, I would have pointed out that
the August issue had a 96-page special supplement for Mac users. I also
would have pointed out the article on UNIX for the Mac, products for
the Mac galore, reviews of numerous non-MS-DOS products, and three articles
on C. 
  As for BIX being too expensive during prime time, I mention that Genie
is $34 an hour. As CIS being cheaper, I point out that 1200-baud access
over CIS lines at non peak is $12.50. BIX is $12. At 2400, the other guys
are more expensive as well (BIX is $13.50).
  If folks have PC Pursuit, they can call our Boston number.
  If folks used BIX when it first went on line, their account is still
avail-
able. They should try the commands now.
  I can't imagine anyone truly believing that Genie or CIS is more 
spunky. It just aint so.
  File transfers are a booger wherever you go on a packet network. BIX
was miserable at first. Now, I think we are as good as anybody.
  This is in no way a criticism of you, Jim. I have had these sort of
discussions at shows before. Usually, the complainer is speaking through
his hat. I try not to argue, but I do shot holes, gently, in their
statements.
  It's nice to hear that we have some good points. Most of the complaints
you cite *were* true. When we started up, frankly, we had no idea of
what we were doing. At least I didn't. I shouldn't speak for everyone
else. We haven't done any marketing to counteract the rumors and mis-
information out there. This soon will change.

[End of captured text..]  Just thought another viewpoint would be
interesting.  Me, I'm waiting until I can think of a free way into C$.

-- 
===============================================================================
!  Victor O'Rear {hplabs!hp-sdd, akgua, sdcsvax, nosc.mil}!crash!victoro      |
|  ARPA: crash!victoro@nosc.ARPA and home: (619) 588-7423 (Sand Eigo, Ca)     |
|                                                                             |
|  "Fools, Idiots! Don't they realize that they are dealing with forces       |
|        beyond comprehension!" - "Doctor Science"                            |
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