Computers: Letters: Sweeping judgements

Thursday 31 March 1994 17:02 EST

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The most critical comments came over our coverage - or perceived lack of it - of the various computer formats.

Nick Gough was positive - to start with: 'I like a page that shows a thinly disguised bias to all things Macintosh - or at least away from world-conquering PC-ism.

'David Hewson says all the right things (18 March) about PowerMac until he gets to Minesweeper. Who needs Windows. I get regular fixes for computerised battleships courtesy of Mines, a freeware game.'

A protest came from Dr Ian Trimble (trims@sherwood. demon. co. uk). 'I read your article on the PowerMac with a sense of deja vu. A desktop Risc computer with a user friendly graphical user interface which can run Dos in emulation faster than a PC? Acorn achieved this in 1988 when it launched the Archimedes series of computers. With a true multitasking and stable GUI which at least matches the Mac's System 7 for useability and with compact, efficient, software which is reasonably priced, Acorn machines are supremely productive.

'I can understand the dominance of PCs and Macs on your computer pages given their market position, but I am saddened by the way you have virtually ignored Acorn - the only non-American computer platform on the market.'

A similar patriotic note was struck by Chris Cowpe, of Fairlie, Ayrshire: 'Congratulations on your first year of extending news of the electronic revolution to your readers. It is one of the features which keeps us loyal to the 'Indy'. This message is sent via Compuserve direct from a Psion 3a - British technology which leads the world.'

Roger Houghton's main criticism was 'the almost total neglect of the machine most likely to be found in the homes of readers of the Independent, namely the Commodore Amiga'.

He went on: 'While the review of pounds 300 software packages and pounds 1,000-plus machines may appeal to a limited number of readers, predominantly business users, I think you are neglecting a majority who would benefit from advice on making better use of the computer they have, be it Amiga, Amstrad PCW or Acorn.'

Finally, Harvey Rose of Chiswick, West London, spoke up for a forgotten minority: 'What I would like to see is information for the computer illiterate over-45s. Surely it must be in somebody's interest to cultivate this market.'

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Computers: Letters: Sweeping judgements

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