Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!ucsd!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!kuhub.cc.ukans.edu!zeus.unomaha.edu!kkrueger From: kkrueger@zeus.unomaha.edu Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: Industry Publications Ignoring the Amiga. Message-ID: <6185.27754fae@zeus.unomaha.edu> Date: 24 Dec 90 06:45:34 GMT References: <1990Dec11.041707.29818@sbcs.sunysb.edu> <23958@grebyn.com> <1990Dec12.193516.10291@rice.edu> Distribution: usa Lines: 55 jsd@moray.rice.edu writes: > Its true. Most business people don't like chances and when a company > has a game-machine reputation, chances are they arn't even going to > look at that make. > > One last thing, I know several people w/ Amigas and I've never seen > any of them running business-related applications, ie. word-pro., > spread-sheets, etc. I am an MBA student, and I use my Amiga occasionally for spreadsheets, but I have to admit I am gradually moving my work over to Macintosh because the software is a lot more powerful and looks much nicer when printed. I used to use Amiga WordPerfect, but after seeing Mac Microsoft Word I saw there was no comparison. Pro Write and all the rest are toys by comparison. The reason for this is a catch-22: people buy the Amiga for the areas that it is strong in (games, programming, video, etc.). These people are often not interested in application software power. So why should software companies write a powerful word processor for the Amiga when they know the market is small? Once a company writes a great word processor and a program like Adobe Type Manager, I'll use my Amiga more for work and less for fun. If you were a businessman, would you buy an Amiga for your company (this question is not directed solely at the person who posted the message)? I would like to say yes because the Amiga is my favorite machine, hands down, but I know that, in all fairness, I wouldn't. I would probably buy IBM clones and a couple Macs. No one hates IBM clones more than I do (it's only because I use them and have come to hate them!), but they are familiar to many people (less training) and most business people have clones at home on which they do work. Imagine filling the office with Amigas loaded with Amiga WordPerfect, Maxiplan, and Superbase Pro. The employees would hang you by your tie once they found out that the work they do at home won't work on the computers in the office. Clones are the standard in business because business likes standards. There is some apt Murphy's Law about standards, but I can't recall it. The Amiga is a great computer in many other areas, though, especially with the new 3000UX. There is a saying: You'll never get rich playing another man's game. This is very true, so the Amiga should be a "niche player," as we business people say it. Niche players can become rich players if they do it right--look at Sun. How many people people use Suns? Yet Sun is a far richer company than 99% of the clone manufacturers. But I think many people don't care how much money C= makes; they just want to see fields of Amigas as far as the eye can see. This is not possible, and C= knows it, so they are pursuing their goals that lead to profit maximization (or at least they are trying). So maybe they aren't so dumb after all by leaving business alone. Note to all: I welcome comments, but TYPE flames >nil:. I don't bother to even read them. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kurt Krueger | BITNET: KKRUEGER@UNOMA1 | //\ MBA student | Internet: KKRUEGER@ZEUS.UNOMAHA.EDU | \X/--\ M I G A ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I always shop a week before X-mas for next year's X-mas to avoid the rush. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------