
                      ----------------------------------

                        F  A  L  C  O  N  *  I  N  F  O

                      ----------------------------------

                               TANTRUM TRAMIEL!

Here's an article about your friend and his, Leonard Tramiel, which appeared
in Usenet newsgroup comp.sys.atari.st a while back, as part of an ongoing
why-are-Atari's-public-relations-so-bad? type of thread.  I left all the
message headers on for those who like that kind of thing.

robo
----

Article #49479 (49501 is last):
Path: usenet.ins.cwru.edu%agate%pool.mu.edu%unet%ortal%up.portal.com%Bob_Bo
bR_Retelle
From: Bob_BobR_Retelle@cup.portal.com
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: *I* an NOT making THIS up either...
Message-ID: <72481@cup.portal.com>
Date: Sun, 27 Dec 92 16:33:10 PST
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
References: <1992Dec17.195300.4758@news2.cis.umn.edu>
  <1h00msINNaou@life.ai.mit.edu> <1992Dec21.194623.23026@news2.cis.umn.edu>
  <1h6aabINNo0a@life.ai.mit.edu> <27DEC92.05003748@meena.cc.uregina.ca>
Lines: 81

Brook (mackie@meena.cc.uregina.ca)  asks:

=Please, no flames.  I just don't understand.

=Why would Atari invite you to a meeting to show off something that they were
=obviously interested in, only to treat you the way you've described?

=Is it at all possible that you've misunderstood them?

Well, I don't understand either..  but just to show that David Baggett
is NOT an isolated case, here are two messages from prominent Atari
developers which recently appeared in the Atari Productivity Forum
on CompuServe.  I'm assuming everyone here knows who GST Software and
CodeHead Technologies are.

And remember please..  *I* am not making this up..

#: 78078 S17/Community Square
    23-Dec-92  09:01:42
Sb: #77942-#Falcon:  Flies or Dies
Fm: GST Software 71351,332
To: CodeHead Software 76004,2232 (X)

Yup - classic moments at a developers conference - Leonard and I had
arrived at this thing never having met but already having managed to develop
a deep dislike of each other via fax.

Halfway through the meeting he moves onto the topic about which we had
been faxing him and says

"Unlike what some people here think, we are not idiots, I will say that
again, we are not idiots".

before I could respond another developer who had *no* idea about what was
going on behind the scenes of all this happily chips in with "But you've got
to admit you've done some bloody silly things in your time."

Cue Leonard going nuclear.

I always handle such meetings now by reminding myself that a reject dwarf
from Tolkiens Lord of the Rings isn't worth getting that hung up about.

Whereas we have nothing really but praise for Bill Rehbock.

Tony

*** There is a reply:   78108


#: 78108 S17/Community Square
    23-Dec-92  13:38:53
Sb: #78078-Falcon:  Flies or Dies
Fm: CodeHead Software 76004,2232
To: GST Software 71351,332 (X)

Tony,

  == a reject dwarf from Tolkiens Lord of the Rings...

  Thanks for the first good laugh of the day!  :)

  Since we're trading stories, here's a good one.  One day, we got a call
from L______, who promptly started belittling us (in an extremely
condescending and obnoxious manner) for "not following the rules" in
MultiDesk.  The actual issue in question was rather technical, hinging on
whether or not it was permissible to rely on register D1 to retain its value
through a Trap #2 call.  When we pointed out that Atari's own documentation
does _not_ state that D1 is unsafe to rely upon, we got an immediate
blustery "Yes it does!" response.  (It doesn't.)  When we pointed out that
TOS itself saves and restores _all_ registers during Trap #2 calls, we got a
short silence, and then a hang-up.

  About an hour later, we got a call from someone else (not L______, he'd
never admit to a mistake), acknowledging that we were correct.  And yet, to
this day, FSMGDOS (and probably SpeedoGDOS too) trashes register D1 during
its Trap #2 processing.

  Unfortunately, this sort of thing isn't unusual at all; it's very
routine treatment for Atari developers.

- Charles

              --------------------------------------------------

Well, ST Report online give L______ a mention in this article!

 - Los Angeles, CA                          SIG HARTMAN SPEAKS UP
   ---------------

     Recently, STReport  had the  wonderful opportunity  to talk to Mr. Sig
 Hartman.  Hartman, best known as Mr. Atari  in years  gone by,  took a few
 moments to  reflect on  the times.   We  asked Mr. Hartman a few questions
 about the past and of course  the future.   Rather  than go  for the usual
 question and answer array, we'll present this in an informal, conversation
 type presentation.  Sig was asked what he thought about the new Falcon and
 its chances  in the  US marketplace.   He began by telling us about how he
 met and spoke to Jack for the first  time in  almost two  years at Comdex.
 Sig thought  the Falcon was a great idea but at the same time he expressed
 concerns over  the  lack  of  substantial  US  Developer  support  for the
 machine.    He  added  that  the  machine would seemingly have to fend for
 itself until it established itself then the big developers may respond.

     When asked why he hadn't spoken to Jack  in so  long, especially since
 everyone knew  they were  such good friends, he responded it was because I
 had left Atari with some very  hard to  get over  feelings because  of the
 tough time  I had  with one  of his sons.  When asked which of the sons it
 was, his answer came as no surprise.   Sig replied  Leonard.   Back to the
 Falcon, Sig continued to comment about the Falcon and the fact that it was
 an impressive machine.  In fact, he made it a point to  wish Jack  and the
 company all  the luck in the world with its USA release.  When asked about
 his involvement with Goldleaf, and the "credit card incident" he  said the
 bank had  cleared the  problem up  for him  and he has heard no more about
 the matter.

     Sig began to illustrate what he's doing "these days"... he  went on to
 report he  is now  heavily involved  in Multi-Media and CD Rom production.
 Additionally, he pointed out that is a "booming  business" and  he expects
 to sell  "jillions!"   It was good to talk to Sig, we reminisced about the
 "good old days" talked about the current state of the Atari market  and of
 course, we  parted with the promise of more of the same.  Sig made our day
 letting us know he understood what STReport was all about in trying to say
 it like  it really  was and  not how certain folks would've liked it to be
 told.

     To take moment or two, one  can't help  but wonder  what heights Atari
 may have  attained had  Sig Hartman  stayed on with them..  Of course, his
 dynamic personality kept the peace in  the  Atari  community  and  it also
 provided  a  cohesive  element  we  haven't  seen since his departure.  If
 anything, Jack ought to seriously consider bringing Sig back in.  It would
 be  a  darn  sight  better  than  the rank amateurs managing the company's
 public relations and sales now.  There isn't a soul out there who will not
 agree that  Sig certainly  has his  act together  and could  easily be the
 catalytic ingredient in driving Atari into holding a major marketshare and
 a strong corporate recovery.

          ----------------------------------------------------------

                But this is STR Online in classic grumpy mode!

          __________________________________________________________

                      STR'S "BELIEVE IT?  OR.. WHAT?"
                    <>###############################<>

                "There is no comparison!  The Atari Falcon
                   is far superior to the PC platform."


                                                  Sam Tramiel, 08/92


     "My new  office, which  has a  better view  than my old one, is so far
     quite satisfactory. And Richard Miller  is  in  my  old  office.   The
     Forbes article  was a  mish-mash and misconstrued article full of half
     truths.  We are anxiously awaiting the release of the  Atari Falcon to
     bring us back to the forefront.  The article has given us some laughs,
     but otherwise has not affected us."

                                                  Sam Tramiel, 08/92


          "As I said before,  all marketing  announcements will  be made at
          Duesseldorf.  I will not comment on future models of the Falcon.

                 WE ARE TALKING TODAY ABOUT A MACHINE.....
                    WHICH WILL BE SHIPPING NEXT WEEK."


                                                  Sam Tramiel, 08/92


     "I've  just  returned  from  Asia,  where I saw the first Atari Falcon
     production coming off the lines.   Let's hope  this new  offering will
     make it in North America.  I know that the specs are great."


                                                  Sam Tramiel, 08/92


     "We have  not yet  even given the machine to the FCC.  And we are only
     applying for Class B approval.  According to our "experts",  it should
     pass Class B."

                                                  Sam Tramiel, 08/92


            "......  We are not working for Wall Street but to
        make money for our shareholders and only think long term."


                                                  Sam Tramiel, 11/92

 psssst.
              FYI.... The Shareholder's equity is fine.... NOT!

                    The Stock is hovering around $1.12

                    CHRISTMAS '92 has COME and GONE...
                          FALCONS    ....anyone?

                 By the Way.... Does the Falcon work well
                                   with
            any... of the SLM Laser Printers??  NOPE!  NOT YET!



