Introducing
Fine Tooned Engineering
Mike Hohman
Mike Hohman
| The rumor of someone
buying ICUs 8-bit product line, is true. Rights and existing stocks were acquired by Fine Tooned Engineering of Scotts Valley, California. Owner, Mike Hohman, gives some insight into his plans. |
Hi, my name is Mike Hohman, from Fine Tooned Engineering. Even though I was asked to write this article, it's something that I've always wanted to do, but simply procrastinated doing for "Whatever the Reason" might be.
I consider myself an Atari Enthusiast, and will continue to do so for the rest of my years. I guess you could call it being past the point of no return!
I wanted to touch base on a few issues, along with giving an update on what's Really Happening with FTe and the ICD/OSS products.
The first topic is "Fear of Failure." I think that this is an important subject and applies to all of us ... regardless. If I had listened to 99.99% of my peers about the current state of the Atari 8-bit Community, the ICD/OSS rights would have never been acquired by FTe.
I think that the transfer occurred as the result of a lifetime of frustration with Waiting for Something to Happen. It's been a really great opportunity to confront my fear of failure directly, in addition to putting FTe in the driver's seat to Get Something Done!
I never subscribed to Antic or Analog, even though I have virtually every issue of both magazines. I never subscribed to Current Notes or Atari Classics either.
Most of the Atari software and hardware that I currently own wasn't purchased directly from distributors or manufacturers, because I could get a "better deal" buying things second hand.
Although I've finally managed to assemble a really nice Atari setup, the sad fact remains that there is virtually no new commercially available hardware or software. Kind of self defeating, isn't it?
I remember how I felt both times when Compute and Computer Shopper stopped Atari support.
Then Analog folded, followed by Antic. It was only after they were no longer available that it occured to me that I would NEVER be able to write to Readers Feedback or share an article or program with all of you.
Do you think I'd learned my lesson yet? Nope. I never submitted an article to Atari Classics either! Talk about a Procrastination/Fear of Failure double whammy!!
Well, it's to the point that Atari Classics is changing it's current form and almost went the way of Antic and Analog. This was the last straw for me, and the article that you are reading is proof that "Mike has finally gotten off his butt" and is doing something! The funny thing though is that I have been doing something. For the past 3 years. It's just that only a handful of people have known about it!
That something is a really neat project called the MARS 8, and was simply delayed because I needed the ICD/OSS rights to finish it. It's about 85% done, and 10% of what remains is legal paperwork, with the other 5% being the polishing touches. I can't say much more about the project as I write this article, but I probably can by the time you read it. So I encourage everyone to call, or write for info...
I really hope that everyone resubscribes to the new AC, brushes up on programming and/or writing and supports this last ditch effort!
Things are actually brighter now than they ever have been, it's just simply a matter of opening your minds.
In addition to MARS 8 and the existing products we acquired from ICD there are about 5 new projects in the pipeline, and with them all being done concurrently, it will take a few months to get caught up.
When our first product ships, there will be several more hot on it's heels!