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From: steve@dcdwest.uucp (Steve Meloche)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: not good news: -MB- rantings return
Summary: Why Amy is not popular (another view)
Message-ID: <1990Oct27.083106.6471@dcdwest.uucp>
Date: 27 Oct 90 08:31:06 GMT
References: <3535@mindlink.UUCP> <1990Oct15.132313.24705@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> <3395@corpane.UUCP> <1990Oct22.232002.28611@hellgate.utah.edu> <35208@cup.portal.com>
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Organization: ITT Aerospace/Communications Division - West
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Actually, I have found that most people that I know will buy a PC clone
even after seeing my Amiga.  Why?  I don't think it is because I am a
boring computer presenter.  It is because they don't want to leave the
safety of the crowd.  The evil word "incompatible" crops up and the
argument is over!  The majority of those I have seen get PC's needed
them to be compatible with a PC at work.  None were willing to buy an
Amiga and then spend twice as much as a cheap clone for a bridgeboard
that gives them CGA graphics.  For most people our favorite computer is
just an oddity - a fringe computer which offers them nothing that they
want, and they are completely unmoved by the fact that there is "just
as good" and "equivalent" software available on Amy.  Sad but true.

I am an electrical engineer, and there are a large percentage of PHd
types in our facility.  I even brought my A1000 to work a few years
ago, but they are all thoroughly PC or Mac oriented.  Sure, they
drooled over the juggler demo back then, but they needed to run certain
applications which were not available on the Amiga then or now.  So
they kept to the PC/MAC worlds.

I know several people who would like to get Amigas but don't for a few
reasons:  they are average folks who can't afford to spend >$1000 for
a non-essential item like a computer (yes, some people can live without
them - not me though) or they need to get PC clones to be compatible
with work.  Of those I know who bought Amigas, three use them
exclusively for games and only one other bought it to get useful work
done.

It's the old catch-22 scenario:  Developers don't port 'cause it's a
"game machine" - serious buyers skip it because the big sw packages
aren't ported.  Well, as long as there is continuing gradual
progess I will be happy.  No matter how great the Amiga is, I don't
expect it to ever pass the PC or MAC.  Too many people just want to be
"the same" or believe every horror story that they hear.  I don't think
that would change too much even if Commodore dropped the price in half,
but I don't let it bother me.  I just have a lot of fun and let them
live in the land of their own choosing - drab as it may be... :-)

-----------------------------------------------------------------
"I am not less perfect than Lore.."       Steven Meloche
"I am not less perfect than Lore.."       ITT A/CD San Diego
                 (figuring out my path again..)