Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!wuarchive!udel!rochester!kodak!elmgate!jdg From: jdg@elmgate.UUCP (Jeff Gortatowsky CUST) Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st Subject: Re: Atari Financial condition Summary: Dos it matter? Keywords: Gloom & Doom Message-ID: <1238@elmgate.UUCP> Date: 27 Mar 90 02:40:10 GMT References: <5780001@acf5.NYU.EDU> <3204@draken.nada.kth.se> <1990Mar25.071703.3839@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> <1990Mar26.071218.10123@chinet.chi.il.us> Reply-To: rg@aurora.UUCP Organization: Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester NY Lines: 53 In article <1990Mar26.071218.10123@chinet.chi.il.us> saj@chinet.chi.il.us (Stephen Jacobs) writes: >Chris very nearly admitted I was right a couple days ago that if Atari was >going to fold any time soon it would have done it already. Now he says >the're going down. Just because they aren't what he wants them to be, he >predicts doom. > Two Cents. I too beleive atari (at least US) to be in deep. In fact, I'm not so sure that the whole last 5 years of Nill' support is simply because atari could care less about the US market. Figuring, it's a PC land (as it is), and why waste valuable money trying to gain entry. But, if some poor soul wishes to buy a machine, fine. But dont expect much. Maybe a tax-writeoff. The Lynx, is another story. According to two pals a mine, whom bought Amiga's to develop for the Lynx, they cant even get the developer package. Could it be that atari has no license to this? If atari were, intererested in making money here, why, preytel, did they create a Lynx commercial that easily turns off any american parent? If they want to make money, see the Lynx to Sega say (if they want it). And it'll go big. I find it VERY hard to beleive that Atari's poor marketing in the past 5 years in the US is simply an accident. They just keep danglin' a carrot in front of our noses for a "just in case" market. Just in case what? I dunno. Maybe UK sales dropping. It cannot be a simple set of mistakes. AS to atari US future. They have none w/ me. They are (in my opinion) a HIGHLY non-credible company, that could care less about me, the end purchaser. And, to use an analogy, Would you buy a car from this man? Knowing that once you've bought it, he could care less about service/ support. Not I. And, I've heard it for some 5 years. Promises here. Excuses there. While I like the ST, I cannot justify the purchase of the (still vapor) TT. You may pay more for apples, but, at least you know they are there for you. And w/ IBM, they happen to be very very good w/ support. And even if they were'nt I could rcv all the support I'd ever need elsewhere.ZO}_ In addition, I think I'd be real hard pressed to find 100 competent Atari developers around. I helped write Deskcart, which, was touted as the best add on product for the ST at one time. Even fickle Jerry Pournelle liked it. I made 12K bucks... (Thats stretchin it). Thats SAD, REAL REAL SAD. Alienating people such as I, Dave Beckmeyer, and others dooms atari. They were/are all kissy face again. But, "Fool me once, your the fool" "Fool me twice, I am". IF! the ATARI COMMUNITY, would stand up and SAY WE HAVE HAD IT!. And mean it. you might see a turn around. Bankrupting Epyx really upset me. Atari has no right to do that. Especially considering that Epyx produced fine software, for many machine types, and was around before atari entered the computer arena. ANY company that claims to be a good organization, yet blatently bankrupts others has no place at all in this country. So, Atari, since you support the UK so readily, why dont you just pack up & go there, and let the rest of us get what we pay for from a credible organiztion. Flames to dev\null. -- Jeff Gortatowsky-Eastman Kodak Company .....sun!sunrock!kodak!elmgate!jdg (716)-726-0084 Eastman Kodak makes film not comments. Therefore these comments are mine not theirs.