Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!rutgers!cunixf.cc.columbia.edu!cunixa.cc.columbia.edu!cmm1 From: cmm1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Christopher M Mauritz) Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st Subject: Re: The TT is finally there! Keywords: TT Message-ID: <1990Sep13.185245.15406@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> Date: 13 Sep 90 18:52:45 GMT References: <1898@ztivax.UUCP> <1990Sep12.190508.3153@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> <1990Sep13.172935.1342@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU> Sender: news@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (The Daily News) Reply-To: cmm1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Christopher M Mauritz) Organization: Columbia University Lines: 76 In article <1990Sep13.172935.1342@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU> gl8f@astsun.astro.Virginia.EDU (Greg Lindahl) writes: >In article <1990Sep12.190508.3153@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> cmm1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Christopher M Mauritz) writes: > >>That works out to be $4800 folks. You may as well buy a Sparcstation SLC, or >>a Mac IIci or an Amiga 3000, or a 33mhz 386, or.... Hardly a bargain by any >>stretch of the word. Anyone who can afford $5K for a PC would probably want >>more than a ST with a 68030 added on. > >Chris, you're comparing apples and oranges. Things like the SLC >generally cost quite a bit more in Europe than in the US. The TT is >new, and we won't see what the real discounted price is until it's >been available for a few months. You won't know what the TT price in >the US is until it's released in the US. And so on. I agree with (gulp, somebody alert the media!) you in that it is difficult to compare the prices until the items are widely available, but I don't think it is too far off the wall to base some speculation on prices that we see now. Sure, there may be some margin of error, but the alternative is to just not talk about the system at all. >The only person who knows what they want and what options are best and >what price is reasonable is the person who's buying the computer, who >has to make a decision based on their personal situation. This is true. However, ATari has touted itself as the Power without the price manufacturer, and judging by these recent prices disclosures they have lost that title. What market niche are they trying to enter? I don't get it. The machine's architecture is too closed to be of any use as a workstation. The price is too high for a home computer. There is no unix available to entice educational institutions to buy them. There is scant network support. The company has a history of leaving user support up to everyone else except Atari Corp so businesses certainly won't give it a shot either. I am at a loss to explain who they think will buy these hot rod STs. Other than ST developers who would like a fast platform to write software on, who would want one? I'm not trying to put the machine down mind you. I wouldn't mind having one myself. I'm just trying to ask some real world questions. Also, one other observation...Any other company who had a new product like this on store shelves would be promoting the damn thing. Am I to gather that I have to hear 2nd or 3rd hand reports on Usenet to know that the machine is for sale at stores in Europe?? Apple,IBM,SUN, usually has a big media splash to announce new products like this so that people become aware of that new product. Actually, they usually do this BEFORE the product is available. How does Atari Corp. expect to sell these things if only a handful of net.hackers even knows of its existence? Again, I'm not trying to be cynical here. This is a real world (TM) question that begs for an answer. It is just such a damn shame to see such products relegated to the computing basement because of the bungling of the people producing the machines. Anyway, nuff said. >-- >"Perhaps I'm commenting a bit cynically, but I think I'm qualified to." > - Dan Bernstein Nothing wrong with a dose of cynicism. It's actually quite useful in retaining one's sanity in a situation such as we now have with ATC. Cheers, Chris ------------------------------+--------------------------- Chris Mauritz |D{r det finns en |l, finns cmm1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu |det en plan! (c)All rights reserved. | Send flames to /dev/null | ------------------------------+---------------------------