Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!emory!gatech!udel!mmdf From: TAAB5@ccvax.iastate.edu (Marc Barrett) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: Commodore Research and Development. Message-ID: <41220@nigel.ee.udel.edu> Date: 9 Jan 91 09:25:50 GMT Sender: mmdf@ee.udel.edu Lines: 76 In article <439.278981b1@vger.nsu.edu>, writes: >In article <1991Jan7.212330.1@ccvax.iastate.edu>, taab5@ccvax.iastate.edu (Marc Barrett) writes: >> In article <17192@cbmvax.commodore.com> daveh@cbmvax.commodore.com (Dave Haynie) writes: >> [Lots deleted] >> In conclusion, the 32-bit Amiga chipset is a lot of work for Commodore's >> engineers because Commodore has so few of them. If Commodore had been >> spending at least the industry average of 7% of their sales on R&D all >> along (instead of 2.1%), Commodore would have had more engineers to work >> on the chipset, and the chipset might even be done by now. As it is, >> the chipset probably will not be available for at least another three years, >> if I correctly interpret the vague hints given by various Commodore >> engineers on CSA. >> > >Ah.. the Mongollian Horde concept. It worked for IBM why not Commodore? Actually, I am talking about the Japanese Horde concept, and it does work, at least for the Japanese. Have you ever wondered why all VCRs, all camcorders, all CD players, all laserdiscs, most TVs, and most computers are made in Japan? People in the U.S. have blamed it on cheap labor, but this is only a small part of the real reason. The real reason? Better engineering. Japanese companies put 2-3 times the engineering talent into their products as do American companies. The result: better products. Companies in other countries are catching onto this idea, and are putting putting more of their total sales into research and devlopment. Unfortunately, companies in the U.S. have yet to learn this idea, especially companies like Commodore. It is fortunate that very few U.S. companies are as bad as Commodore in this respect, though, or we'd be in *REALLY* bad shape! As for IBM, the mainframe market is totally dominated by IBM, precisely because IBM spends quite a lot on R&D. IBM is one of the few U.S. companies that are still highly respected in Japan, precisely because IBM is one of the few U.S. companies that have caught onto the concept of putting a lot of money (as a percentage of total sales) into R&D. BTW, over half of IBM's R&D budget goes into long-range scientific R&D -- research that may not pay off for 50 years or more, if at all. A lot of research at IBM is on things like superconductivity, nanotechnology, and other research that does not turn short-term profits. By comparison, ALL research at Commodore is very short-term, precisely because Commodore's managers are more worried about short-term profits then long-term strength. > >(smile) > > >> >>>-- >>>Dave Haynie Commodore-Amiga (Amiga 3000) "The Crew That Never Rests" >>> {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!daveh PLINK: hazy BIX: hazy >>> "Don't worry, 'bout a thing. 'Cause every little thing, >>> gonna be alright" -Bob Marley >> >> >> -MB- > ^^^^ > (There is no cure) > > > -mark= > > +--------+ ================================================== > | \/ | Mark D. Manes "Mr. AmigaVision" > | /\ \/ | manes@vger.nsu.edu > | / | (804) 683-2532 "Make up your own mind! - AMIGA" > +--------+ ================================================== -MB-