First Internet message and ...

[Fred Cisin]

On Tue, 26 Nov 2019, Richard Pope wrote:
>    You are correct in your assessment. Which was first? The Altair and IMSAI 
> had been available for years but you almost had to be an engineer to build 
> them and use them. So were they first? I don't believe so because the average 
> idiot couldn't get them to work. They were too much trouble, work, and they 
> cost too much.

"FIRST", but rejected for various reasons.  in this case too hard for us 
beginners?


>    I consider the VIC-20 to be the first Home Computer or Personal Computer. 
> It was inexpensive, had good color graphics, good sound, was easy to program, 
> use, and was easy to expand. So I consider Commodore to be the inventor of 
> the PC. Just my opinion. Again which was truly first?

Again, an exact tie between three manufacturers.

> What about the Amiga. 
> The first multitasking multiprocessing computer with outstanding graphics, 
> sound, and expandability for a reasonable price. It was also truly plug and 
> play.

I LOVED the Amiga!  Traded 10 copies of XenoCopy for one of the early 
model 1000.
But, it wasn't until about 1986?, when even early Windoze was out.
Although far from as PRACTICAL for multitasking multiprocessing, I would 
place the Radio Shack Color Computer running the OPTIONAL OS-9 as earlier.
Yes, I would use the Amiga, NOT the Coco.
And, when the Amiga PC emulation came out, most of XenoCopy would run on 
it! ("the acid test of compatability" - PCWorld)
But, people griped that it "isn't FAST enough".  They got an elephant to 
FLY, and people complain about airspeed and payload??!?

Video Toaster, while a niche product, really showed the advantages of 
Amiga.  Up until a few years ago, when the Cable TV system crashed, it 
would display a "Guru Meditation Number"!

"But there HAS to be a Macintosh version!"
"OK, OK."  It's a bigger box, and if you look inside there's an Amiga 
motherboard. (or so I'm told)


Atari 520/1040 were pretty good, but they didn't appeal to me like the 
Amiga.