Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!purdue!haven!decuac!shlump.nac.dec.com!levers.enet.dec.com!plouff
From: plouff@levers.enet.dec.com
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Constructive Mischief
Message-ID: <6327@shlump.nac.dec.com>
Date: 23 Nov 89 05:02:32 GMT
Sender: newsdaemon@shlump.nac.dec.com
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Lines: 45

Some recent postings here have lamented the lack of general recognition 
for the Amiga name.  Some others have suggested taking part in Apple's 
'Test Drive' program with the express intent of returning the systems, 
thereby distorting the program's effectiveness.  This got me to 
thinking...

Browse through almost any large-circulation computer or technical 
magazine, and there will be the latest yuppie treats, offers of free 
demo disks.  I see something I'd like for the Amiga about once every 
week or two, only to be confronted with the depressing choice of

	[ ] IBM PC 5-1/4"  [ ] IBM PC 3-1/2"  [ ] Macintosh 800K

Some recent examples are automobile 'test drive' demos, image processing
software and (yeah, the guy's got no taste) free starter kits for
Prodigy.  Lately I've started sending the postage paid cards back with 
the choice

	[X] Amiga 3-1/2"

penned in.

Nobody has called back yet, but when they do, they will hear things 
like, "Amiga has such good graphics performance, I'm surprised it wasn't 
your first or second choice," or, "such cost effective performance," or, 
"such a flexible environment..."  You get the idea.

So I am advocating that readers of this newsgroup do the same.  Send
back cards and coupons for demos of things you would really buy for the
Amiga, or for yourself, with choice of disk format marked as Amiga. 
Then reply to "We don't support that computer" statements with mild
disbelief that the people who are trying to sell you something could
overlook such an obvious choice. 

Who knows?  A little positive action may go a long way in creating the 
appearance of a vital Amiga community worth spending advertising dollars 
to woo.  And in advertising, appearance is reality.

Wes Plouff
-- 
Wes Plouff, Digital Equipment Corp, Littleton, Mass.
plouff%levers.enet.dec@decwrl.dec.com

Networking bibliography:  _Islands in the Net_, by Bruce Sterling
			  _The Matrix_, by John S. Quarterman