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From: aiajms@castle.ed.ac.uk (-=Andy=-)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Predictions
Message-ID: <7676@castle.ed.ac.uk>
Date: 3 Jan 91 14:39:17 GMT
References: <1990Dec30.173545.7384@lsuc.on.ca>
Organization: Edinburgh University Computing Service
Lines: 36

Dear Jim et all

Before I start my own modest offering of predictions, I would like to
congratulate Jim on his "Nostra Damus" like predictions he has made on
the globe and Atari, very interesting and a trifle amusing. (I would have
prefered his comments on the Persian gulf than that of Atari to be honest!)

I am of the opinion that with the current state of the global economy,
certainly in the US and in the UK, and nervousness over the Gulf war,
that companies of whatever stature are going to find life difficult to
survive. As a result, most companies will either have to push up prices
(which is inflationary == bad) or cut production costs. Cutting
production costs will be for most manufactures the first choice.

Now lets look at Atari. They have already cut costs in many areas in the
new machines. The plastic casing on the ST is nothing short of "tacky",
the keyboard feels like a spring mattress on a bed, plus the array of
"99%" functionality of I/O ports. Plus the darn things are made in
Taiwan.

I cannot see Atari being able to make enough savings in cost of
production to keep prices as they are at the moment. They will either
have to increase prices, thus placing them in the realms of PC-land
which would be a difficult market for them to compete or further reduce
production costs. I believe the ST is already "mutton dressed as lamb",
and I cannot see them doing much more with it.

Cheers.

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Name  : Andrew Mcsherry					 +++++++
Degree: Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence(4)	  ++   ++ 
Univ  : University Of Edinburgh, Scotland.		  ++   ++
Mail  : aiajms%uk.ac.ed.castle@nsfnet-relay		 +++++++ 
.......Go Elway....Go Humphries....Go Johnson.          GO BRONCOS
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