Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!apple!agate!shelby!ucscc.ucsc.edu!gorn!filbo From: filbo@gorn.santa-cruz.ca.us (Bela Lubkin) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: Amiga Commercials Message-ID: <70.filbo@gorn.santa-cruz.ca.us> Date: 27 Oct 89 15:20:48 GMT References: <4770@udccvax1.acs.udel.EDU> Organization: R Pentomino Lines: 56 X-Claimer: I >am< R Pentomino! In article <4770@udccvax1.acs.udel.EDU> Donald R Lloyd writes: > Speaking of Computerland: If seven percent of the computerland stores > carry a product line, the entire chain HAS to pick up that line. Right now, > Ami is in about five percent of the CLand stores. Everybody go home and call > your local ComputerLand(s); "Do you carry the Amiga? No? Why not?" > We only need another 2% to get into the entire %100!! Yes, but do we want it? I bought my Amiga from a local ComputerLand. They were the most apathetic dealership I've ever seen. I'm GLAD they aren't an Amiga dealership any more, even though it means that there are only two dealers within 20 miles, neither of them great. This was back in '85 when the Amiga was supposed to ship "Real Soon Now". I had heard a rumor that ComputerLand/Santa Cruz was going to have a demo machine in that Saturday, so I went down there with a friend to check it out. There it was, an A1000 with a crowd of about 20 people drooling on it. It was being demonstrated by someone from Los Gatos -- he said he'd designed the case (does anyone know who that would be? I immediately forgot the name). After watching for about an hour, the guy doing the demo had to leave and the crowd largely broke up. I played with the machine for a while, then went off and LOOKED for a salesperson. When I finally collared one, I asked "So when are you going to have some machines in for sale?" He said "Oh, we have some in the back right now." I was floored. What kind of salesperson will let an obviously interested customer drool on the merchandise for over an hour and not even attempt to make a sale? It's not like he wasn't going to get a commission on it -- they were selling at full retail price and I'm sure the store's part of it was pretty high. I should have gotten a clue. But I went ahead and paid $2100 for an A1000 with external drive and the extra 256K card. ($1295+395+295+tax). After that I occasionally visited or called the store to see if they had any software for me to buy. Once they said they'd had Deluxe Paint, but it had sold out right away. I asked when they were going to have more and was told "Oh, we haven't ordered any". I >NEVER< actually saw any software for sale at that store. Fortunately they were finally dropped by Commodore. So I ask you, do we need that kind of support all over the country? I agree that it would be good to get the exposure, but is it going to be the right kind of exposure if 90% of the stores have one sorry looking A500 sitting in the back corner plaintively demanding "WorkBench 1.3"? In any case, I think your interpretation is wrong. I don't know about this 7% business, but I'm sure that when ComputerLand Corporate picks up an item, it doesn't mean that every store carries it. It just makes it easier for each store to carry it if they so desire. THERE's where it would be nice -- I'm sure there are at least some CL stores that would carry the machine if they could get a CL corporate discount, and that would actually bother to support it. It would also make it easier for schools or corporations to make large purchases -- they could contact the local CL and get it even if that CL doesn't carry the machine off-the-shelf. Sorry, this is sort of stream-of-consciousness. I've convinced myself along the way that we DO want it, but not for the same reasons as the original poster. I leave in the whole discussion so you can see why. Bela Lubkin * * // filbo@gorn.santa-cruz.ca.us CompuServe: 73047,1112 @ * * // ....ucbvax!ucscc!gorn!filbo ^^^-VERY slow [months] R Pentomino * \X/ Filbo @ Pyrzqxgl +408-476-4633 & XBBS +408-476-4945