Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!comp.vuw.ac.nz!actrix!tornado!sideways!patrick From: patrick@sideways.gen.nz (Pat Cain) Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn Subject: Re: Acorn Compters Ltd. (to the rescue!) Message-ID: Date: 15 Feb 91 12:27:49 GMT References: <2776@krafla.rhi.hi.is> Organization: Sideways Bulletin Board, Lower Hutt, New Zealand. Lines: 34 kvj@rhi.hi.is (Kristjan Valur Jonsson) writes: > Until this discussion came up, I thought the nonexistent publicity of acorn > products here in Iceland were to be entirely blamed on the local importer's > lack of business skills. But is seems that the problem stems from Acorn > themselves. How utterly ridiculous. Those who own Arcs here are usually > old BBC hackers who understood the merit of the BBC micro and upgraded when > the Arc came along. Nothing has been done recruit new users, so only a few > chosen souls know about the Arc. If it is Acorn's policy to concentrate on > the BBC (micro) established markets then I they must be very narrow minded. > It namely concerns the user very much whether his machine is commonly owned > or at least commonly known about or not. Acorn surey has a lot to catch up > with on the PR side of matters. Same thing has happened here, BBC owners have been the main Archimedes purchasers along with a few others who have been impressed with the machine. When I am asked by people what would be the best computer for them to buy, I usually say a PC. Not because it is a good or bad machine but because anyone can go into a computer shop and say "I'd like a Pascal compiler for a PC" and they would have one. I am sure Acorn would like to sell more machines and be better known, but advertising and publicity isn't all that cheap. At least one national computer magazine here has had major problems with Barsons/Acorn paying for their advertisments. But that may just be due to the recent takeover of Barsons by Acorn. Anyway, I doubt that this discussion will help the situation very much, only inflame things, so I'll shut up now and hope that things may change one day. -- Pat Cain, Private Box 2060, Wellington, New Zealand. Sideways Bulletin Board - NZ's Acorn & BBC BBS - +64 4 661231.