Author: 0 (0)
Date: -0
Hey,
I wrote a peice to advocate the ST in the Micromart magazine "computer world cup" format wars. We were up against the Amstrad CPC this round.
You can read the cases here.
http://www.micromart.co.uk/content/features/default.asp?Category=Article&ID=787
Sorry if the STs is a bit shite, but I was very busy with exams at the time. Let's just hope it's good enough :o)
We currently have 53% of the vote vs the CPCs 47%
http://www.micromart.co.uk/content/newforum/Poll.asp I think that link shows what the current stats are, but you can't vote there.
So how about some votes?! You have to become a member of their forum which sucks a bit, but I haven't recieved any spam from them since I gave them my email address, so you sbould be ok...
To vote, go here
http://www.micromart.co.uk/content/newforum/Poll.asp?PollID=7&ForumID=24
Voting finishes on the 5th of December, not too early I hope! I only just found out the two peices have been up for voting for the last week! I gave Micromart the article a while ago and heard nothing more until I asked today.
Actually, I'll paste the articles in here now, to save you a bit of time...
Now get voting!
Amstrad CPC
(Argued by Richard Wildey)
The Amstrad CPC first appeared in 1984 coming into a market dominated by the Spectrum and Commodore 64. This trio of computers led the way for home computing in the UK. In 1985 the 16-bit Atari ST was released. Nobody can claim the Amstrad CPC, with its 4MHz Z80 processor, 128K or 64K RAM, 27 colours and three channel sound is technologically better, however without the 8 bit computers that came before there would be no ST to speak of.
The CPC booted straight into an environment where you could program. You were forced to learn that computers merely ran sets of instructions. There was no hand-holding of a GUI like the aptly named TOS.
Amstrads' famous 8-bit came with a monitor and an inbuilt tape or disc drive depending on the version you bought. This was a complete system, just plug in and go. It was designed to be accessible at many levels, home, office, and games or as a tool to learn programming. Sure, a few people may have made some decent tunes on the ST but the Amstrad created programmers .The "Ready" prompt was an open invitation to explore your new computer. From mastering BASIC people became keen to learn Assembler while ST owners were too busy pirating software and fighting viruses. Proof in the fact the CPC was a great computer lies not in its technology but the fact that over two million units were made. The original 464 was popular enough to spawn the 664, 6128, 464+ and 6128+. Even though the last newsstand publication closed over ten years after the launch of the CPC, people continued to use them. CPCs are still working today and stand as a testament to the home computing revolution of the 1980s.
Atari ST
(Argued by Thomas Paton)
Released in 1984, the AmstradCPC emerged in the twilight of the 8-bit era. It was worthy, but not revolutionary. In 1985 the ST was one of the first affordable 16bit home computers. It was a true step forward, and influenced the evolution of the personal computer. The ST's graphical user interface was new, and easy to use, even for people new to computing, whereas BASIC OSs such as the CPC's had been used in home computers since the 1970s.
The ST is still a useful machine today, because it incorporated and helped set current standards. On the ST, you can create and view HTML pages, Word/RTF documents, spreadsheets and databases. You can send/receive email; chats in IRC, play midis files, and of course, play thousands of classic ST games!
A cartridge add-on allows you to access a TCP/IP network and play network games against PC/Macs, share files, and access the net via cable modems or ISDN lines. All on a 1985 ST with nothing but a standard memory upgrade! Considering that they were only released one year apart, there are light-years between the two machines!
Quick Facts:
* ST out-sold the CPC 3 to 1.
* Even relatively, the 520ST had much more RAM - enough to hold 16 of its
32k screens, while the CPC only held four of its 16k screens.
* Grammy award winning musicians produced with STs (Madonna,
Fleetwood Mac, Jean Micheal Jarre.) STs are still used by musicians today.
* The ST used a standard drive compared with Amstrads 3" disks,
which were rare, expensive and of low capacity even for the time.
* The ST was successful worldwide, while the CPC was only really successful in the UK and parts of Europe.
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vote for the ST in the "computer world cup&qu new
