Quaint old equipment

[P3D Gavin Stokes <gstokes@xxxxxxx>]

Gregory remarked,

"For example, I own and use Atari ST and TT computer equipment.  How's that
for obscure? The funny thing is, mention of Atari computers gets me *exactly*
the same funny looks as mention of my collecting/using stereo cameras.  'Oh,
how quaint.  Didn't they go out of business in the <insert decade>'s?'"

I'll go further: I own and use an Atari 800, so imagine the altitude of
eyebrows when I mention that one! As a professional software developer, I
can tell you that you still can't buy an IBM-compatible that has the
graphics capabilities of the Atari. Hardware-based moving objects, graphic
overlaps, automatic collision detection, and true scrolling. In fact, the
IBM is moving backward: Intel is now putting sound and graphic support in
the CPU. Come on, even the Atari and Amiga were advanced enough to offload
those chores to dedicated hardware! What good is a 200-mHz Pentium when it's
bogged down in bitmaps and audio samples?

The point is, the Ataris and 3-D pictures get the same response from people
today: "That's amazing! Why don't people use this anymore?"  I can't tell
you how many times I've heard this.  My answer is the same: People no longer
recognize quality.  In the case of cameras and audio, among other things,
they only recognize convenience.  3-D is too much trouble.  Records are too
much trouble.  LaserDiscs (another great product that I promote whenever
possible) are too much trouble.  The people say, yeah, give me a
double-cassette auto-reverse boom box.  Who cares if I'm getting four times
the features at one-eighth the quality?  Give me a plastic 35-mm camera for
$600, 'cause hey, it's advanced POLYCARBONATE.  It's so much lighter, and
you know, that AE-1 was sooooo heavy and tiring to lug around.

On one hand, I get great satisfaction out of preserving and presenting these
great old artifacts to friends and strangers.  On the other, I'm irritated
at everyone out there who buys the crap companies are making today, without
complaint.  Because these people are voting for crap, the rest of us can't
buy high quality AT ANY PRICE.

Gavin


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