Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!convex!convex1.convex.com!rosenkra
From: rosenkra@convex1.convex.com (William Rosencranz)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Atari slanders Micro RTX and MT C-Shell
Message-ID: <104640@convex.convex.com>
Date: 5 Aug 90 17:14:41 GMT
References: <4236@bdt.UUCP>
Sender: usenet@convex.com
Organization: Convex Computer Corporation; Richardson, TX
Lines: 52

In article <4236@bdt.UUCP> david@bdt.UUCP (David Beckemeyer) writes:
>
>[regarding Frank Foster's ill-conceived quote in STart]
>
>Aside from that issue, is this any way to run a business Atari?

business as usual, dave!

>Do you think this is an appropriate way for Atari to treat their
>long-term loyal software developers?  Atari expects vendors to
>produce software for their system and support it, while at the
>same time, they slander those same vendors in offical Atari Corp.
>statements to the press.

atari is simply kidding themselves in the long run. but then, it
seems they may not be in it for the long run anyway. software is
EVERYTHING in their market. the box is just a commodity. look at
how people compare platforms: $$$, MHz, MB, # ports, etc. they
don't say anything about s/w, which is what all non-programmer
users are (or should be) interested in. these buyers far outnumber
programmer users, i'd say. if atari could put together a really
good 3rd party s/w story (like the "big boys" do) then they could
very possibly gain market share. they sell "bang for the buck",
however, which has been a good strategy up until now. getting
into the unix w/s biz, however, they'll need to point to 1000+
appliacations (like Sun and DEC and ...) to make any impact
because joe home user is not going to shell out $4-5k for a
computer just to get a VME slot, especially if he has nothing to
run on it. and you'll never see the fortune 1000's buying
significant volume of atari, either, especially without very
good s/w. they'll go to IBM or Sun or DEC first, even if the
box costs more because they know there is a s/w base to grow on.

actually, i really don't think atari cares much about anything
but foreign markets, which is not a bad idea in itself, though
it leaves the rest of us in the states somewhat out on a limb.
still, i really can't knock atari for this since at least they are
helping the balance of trade.

i suspect if this was an orchestrated remark, it was meant to draw
attention away from the ST and toward the TT possibly. if not, FF
was just not thinking...

>Personally I am outraged by these comments.

you should be. maybe it's time to give up the ghost, dave...

-bill
rosenkra%c1yankee@convex.com

Bill Rosenkranz            |UUCP: {uunet,texsun}!convex!c1yankee!rosenkra
Convex Computer Corp.      |ARPA: rosenkra%c1yankee@convex.com