Path: utzoo!utgpu!attcan!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!amdcad!ames!claris!apple!well!jax From: jax@well.UUCP (Jack J. Woehr) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Flaming Scientific American "Trends In Computing" Magazine Summary: Amiga Trademarks Missing! Keywords: Scientific American, Trends In Computing, Commodore, IBM Message-ID: <7244@well.UUCP> Date: 29 Sep 88 03:48:24 GMT Reply-To: jax@well.UUCP (Jack J. Woehr) Organization: Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, Sausalito, CA Lines: 64 An open letter: ___________________________________________________________________________ 7100 W. 44th Ave. Wheat Ridge, CO 80033 28 Sept. 88 Johnathan Piel, Editor Scientific American Trends In Computing 415 Madison Ave. New York, NY 10017 Dear Editor: It was with eagerness that I snatched your new magazine, "Trends In Computing", from the hands of a fellow programmer at work. However, I see that the economic pressures that have forced lesser publications to "sell out" have come home to roost at the once-proud Scientific American. I was appalled at what was apparently a craven act of journalistic dishonesty, one disrespectable if appearing in the New York Daily News, revolting when occuring under the hallowed banner of Scientific American. I refer to the illustration on page 13 of Vol. 1, in which a child is enraptured by the graphics capability of what has been the world's most advanced personal computer since 1985, the Commodore Amiga. From this illustration you have apparently airbrushed all Amiga trade markings in deference to your only advertiser, International Business Machines, who still have not managed to emerge with a system to match the Amiga at this late date. ( Maybe next year ...) As an owner of an Amiga, I sincerely doubt that these markings could be easily removed by a user. If they were not present at the time of the photograph, the Amiga should have certainly been identified in the caption, to avoid the impression of impropriety that this illustration generously provides in a publication supported by one single advertiser. I only hope that Scientific American has the good sense to fire the lot of you and hire a slightly more competent journalistic staff. If Commodore sues, so much the better. I have cut out an interesting page or two; the rest of your disgraceful publication is in the wastebasket, where it belongs. Sincerely, Jack J. Woehr cc: Commodore Business Machines, Inc. International Business Machines, Inc. posted on USENET comp.sys.amiga