XPost: comp.sys.atari.8bit, comp.sys.cbm   
   From: secretspam@ihatespam.net   
      
   On Fri, 6 Jan 2006 10:41:30 +0100, "Peter de Vroomen"   
    wrote:   
      
   >And it was badly done too, because they hardly added any new stuff when   
   >going from the Atari 400/800 to the 600XL/800XL. It was mostly integration   
   >of the chips to get the costs down.   
      
   This is what I think, based on remembering talking to many people who   
   were deciding what to get back then:   
      
   They NEEDED to get the cost down!  Trouble is they never got it down   
   far enough fast enough to compete with the C64.  The 800 was trying to   
   compete with the Apple2, but it couldn't due in large part to Apple's   
   wise maneuver of getting education all outfitted in Apple.  By the   
   time Atari tried (and failed) to compete with the C64 price point, the   
   momentum was already in the C64 favor.  I still remember Atari 800XLs   
   at $320 with C64s at like $200-250.  It is my belief that the   
   technical merits of the machines was less a factor than price point.   
   I think the great unwashed masses, rightly or wrongly, saw them as   
   rough equivalent commodities and came down on the side of price.  And   
   the C64 was cheaper.   
      
   >But anyway, you could have kept you post a lot shorter. The argument of the   
   >8 sprites is enough to make the C64 come out on top.   
      
   The 8 sprites is definitely the superior of the Atari, but for me, not   
   enough to put it on top.   
      
   >And the argument of the C64's BASIC is only partly true. Stick in a Simon's   
   >Basic cartridge, and the machine destroys any Basic ever run on any Atari.   
   >You can also load Simon's Basic from tape or floppy.   
      
   No, it doesn't.  Atari8 wins the BASIC battle IMHO.  BASIC XL/XE,   
   Turbo BASIC (and the compiler! yeah!) are the better.   Simon's BASIC   
   was pretty darn good though, and light years ahead of the built in   
   BASIC.  Also on a stock alone basis, Atari's BASIC was much better   
   than the C64 built in.   
      
   I might also add, that Atari wins in the OS/DOS department as well.   
   SpartaDOS (especially X) was way ahead, and stock for stock or modded   
   for modded, Atari's floppy drives were faster too.   
      
   I think both the C64 and Atari8 were/are fine machines and I have a   
   similar respect for both.  And I'm not just saying that to try and   
   compromise.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)