Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!navajo.cis.ohio-state.edu!martens From: martens@navajo.cis.ohio-state.edu (Jeff Martens) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: Amiga 3000 and CBM Keywords: Big A2500/30 sale. Message-ID: <79211@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu> Date: 13 Apr 90 15:49:15 GMT References: <79198@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu> Sender: usenet_news@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu Reply-To: Jeff Martens Distribution: na Organization: Ohio State University Computer and Information Science Lines: 97 In article <79198@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu> writes: [ ... ] >I am having a very SERIOUS time follwing CBM's reasoning lately. I realize >the above is not gospel, but lately I have been hearing very similar specs and >stories from some VERY inside friends. >My problem is this; Why did CBM spend a lot of time and money getting 1000 >owners to turn in their machine for a 2000 series, and even more time and money >getting us Educators/Students/Schools to go out and buy lots of 2000's, both >before quickly aproaching deadlines, and then turn around and make the 2000 >line obsolete. Just because they've come out with a better model doesn't mean the old one's obsolete. Heck, I seem to be getting by on my 4 year old A1000, and expect to for awhile. A fact of life seems to be that computer companies continue to make sales even after they've begun working on the next model. If Commodore hadn't continued to sell A500s and A2000s, there'd be no money to produce and market the A3000. As it is Commodore is attempting to maintain/build market share, and that'll help us all in the long run, regardless of what the next machine looks like. >Don't get me wrong, I want the 3000 to be a complete overhaul as much as >anyone, but why on Earth didn't they wait and do the 1000 and Education deals >AFTER the 3000 was released. Because they don't want sales to stagnate. I expect that there'll be an educational discount on the 3000, but it doesn't make much sense to announce it before the 3000 is announced. >What about all the new A2500/30 owners? Are you telling me that MY _3_ day >old 2500/30 $3000++ machine is going to be obsolete in a matter of days or >weeks to something that is VERY CLOSE in price to what I just got. Well, I'm certainly not telling you that. You've got a good machine. If you have to upgrade sometime, then you have to upgrade; but it doesn't make much sense to worry that your 2500 is nearly obsolete. Does it do what you need it to do? I suspect it does, but if not, why did you buy it in the first place? >CBM only gave A1000 owners till the end of April, and Educational people only >had till the end of March for non-package perchaces. No word on what the >A3000 was going to be like was let out, so how could somone who needed the >Ed. deal, but would rather have the HUGE advances of the 3000 if it was >fiscally feesable know what to do and wether or not to wait. And then CBM >makes you sign your life away, saying you can not sell the 2500/30 >for _1 year_!!! Despite allegations to the contrary, the marketing people at CBM may not be stupid. There are many, many cases of companies floundering because they've announced a product prematurely, and potential customers waited for the new product rather than buying the current one. Then the new product was late, or never produced due to lack of funds. Even IBM has alienated customers by announcing products prematurely and then not being able to deliver on time. >CBM has got to tell it's family, us users and supporters, what they are going >to do soon, or their is going to be a lot of people saying "**** it, I am tired >of fighting for a company that keep scr=wing me over!" I don't understand what CBM has to tell us? And I don't know of anyone who's really been screwed over by CBM (of course, probably someone has been...). At one point, when production of the A1020 was dropped, I felt I'd been screwed, but after months of scouring the countryside for a dealer that had one, and months of having a 1020 on backorder from CMO, I finally found a used one in mint condition. Guess I wasn't screwed. >I have no problem with a brand new machine, no problem with their secrets, >however if they introduced these big deals to their original supporters (The >people who saved CBM) and to Educators just to clear stock, I for one am >gone! I think that they didn't. First of all, the A1000 upgrade was to keep old customers happy by moving them to a machine that Commodore (presumably) intends to continue to support. This isn't a move to clear stock -- it's a move to keep faithful customers happy. The educational discount is targeted more towards new customers, and increasing market share. Certainly clearing out stock could be a concern, but if the 3000 costs almost the same thing as a 2500, then expect price drops on the older stuff when the 3000 comes out. And you can hardly accuse Commodore of being the only PC manufacturer to ever drop prices, or to ever come out with a new model. So I don't see why you're upset. [ ... ] -=- -- Jeff (martens@cis.ohio-state.edu) "Does anyone find it odd that Jack Kennedy and McHale of 'McHale's Navy' were The same rank in the same branch of the service?" -- Dennis Miller