Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!ncar!asuvax!hrc!gtephx!covertr
From: covertr@gtephx.UUCP (Richard E. Covert)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Double Click's New MultiPort card
Summary: Penny Wise, Pound Foolish
Keywords: double click, serial io, atari st     The June/July issue of ST EXPRESS magazine has an ad from Double
Message-ID: <44f290b1.14a1f@gtephx.UUCP>
Date: 10 Aug 89 15:49:15 GMT
References: <448e5c73.14a1f@gtephx.UUCP> <817@uhnix2.uh.edu> <189@swituc.UUCP> <24393@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu>
Organization: AG Communication Systems, Phoenix, Arizona
Lines: 38

In article <24393@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu>, kclenden@silver.bacs.indiana.edu (Kevin Clendenien) writes:
> In article <44e3d740.14a1f@gtephx.UUCP> covertr@gtephx.UUCP (Richard E. Covert) writes:
> [stuff deleted]
> >	I guess to summarize, I think that RTS/CTS should have been part of the
> >basic design of DC PORT. I do not want to buy a DC PORT that was hacked up to 
> >support RTS/CTS. And DC SOFTWARE needs to provide system software drivers, which


> way to provide you with a board that will do what you want, but are you
> grateful?  No, you would rather whine.  It's no wonder there aren't more
> people supporting the ST out there.  I would like to thank DC Software
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Kevin B. Clendenien                         kclenden@silver.bacs.indiana.edu
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Kevin said in his reply that I was 'whining' about a small defiency in
DC PORT. But, my main point was that DC SOFTWARE was being penny wise but pound
foolish by leaving out the hardware RTS/CTS. I don't know which UART they used but
I am sure that adding RTS/CTS is mainly just a case of adding another RS-232
line driver and line receiver set of ICs. So, to save a couple pennies in their
design DC SOFTWARE has eliminated abig market. There are a lot of USR 9600
modem users out there just begging for a working hardware RTS/CTS with working
software drivers.

	So, if this is whining, so be it. I am simply pointing out to DC SOFTWARE,
and anyone else out contemplating such a product, to test your market before
finishing your design. Ask your potential customers for their desired features,
and be willing to change once they see your product.

	The 'whining' thing brings up another complaint of mine. Why is it
that ST owners should be satisfied with a less then perfect product, or with
a product with known defiencies, just because a company was willing to market it
to us in the first place? I mean, don't we desire the right to be critical of
ST products, or should we simply bless any software or hardware product that
a company is willing to market, just because they were nice enough to market
it?? Awwggg!!

Richard (the 'whiner') Covert