Re: Apple II vs Atari 800

["N.N. Thayer" <nnthayer@hotmail.com>]

On Apr 13, 9:52 pm, "Michael J. Mahon" <mjma...@aol.com> wrote:
> N.N. Thayer wrote:
> > On Apr 13, 7:36 pm, "Jack Tseng" <tse...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> >>In 1980, Apple II graphics/sound looks limited.. Graphics on the games look
> >>very terrible... Sound is not good. Atari graphics/sound are better than
> >>Apple II.. Why did many companies make the games for Apple more than Atari?
>
> >>I attended to the computer class in the elementary school. There were many
> >>Apple computers in the most school. Can anyone tell me a reason why the
> >>school chooses Apple even thought the graphics and music were terrible?
>
> >>Thanks!
> >>Jack
>
> > To partly answer your question, here is an *awesome* interview that
> > covers the origins of MECC, who was instrumental in establishing the
> > Apple II as the K-12 standard:
>
> >http://www.cbi.umn.edu/oh/pdf.phtml?id=177
>
> > The interview is done within the larger context of the evolution of
> > educational computing, and the related financial, technical, and
> > bureaucratic challenges.  Fascinating and informative reading.
>
> In education as in other application areas, a standard platform
> is a wonderful thing.
>
> -michael
>
> NadaPong: Network game demo for Apple II computers!
> Home page:  http://members.aol.com/MJMahon/
>
> "The wastebasket is our most important design
> tool--and it's seriously underused."

And according to the interview, luck as much as anything else
determined that standard.  If one accepts that MECC was a catalyst for
the proliferation of micros in schools, then a big reason for the
Apple II entrenching itself was that Apple was the only manufacturer
to take MECC's bidding process seriously:

"MECC dispatched two people out to talk to Steve Jobs and Steve
Wozniak who were the 21-year-old kids with the new Apple computer.
They had already announced their intent to save the world and they
were going to help education using the computer.  They had no
information about what we were doing in Minnesota.  They didn't know
anybody was using computers in schools.  We told them about MECC and
said we'd like to buy five Apple II's at a special price.  They gave
us a special price ... Yes, we got a bid from Apple.  We also got bids
from other companies.  Some of the companies, particularly Radio
Shack, were not enamored with this process and thought it was kind of
hokey - the process being the bid process and the state requirements -
and so they weren't real particular about how they responded.  We told
Radio Shack, 'You know, if you don't respond in the right way we can't
accept your bid,' and they weren't willing to change.  Everything was
flying high and they were selling TRS-80s like mad.  The Atari people
and the Commodore people were late and there were very stringent rules
- if you aren't in by noon on the appointed day, you are [out]."

(One of a few flashpoints in that interview; the whole thing is
captivating, especially to someone who wasn't alive to witness the
transition from centralized service-based computing to local
autonomous computing.)