Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!cimshop!davidm From: cimshop!davidm@uunet.UU.NET (David S. Masterson) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy Subject: Re: Wake Up Commodore! Message-ID: Date: 24 Mar 91 22:01:44 GMT References: <19996@cbmvax.commodore.com> <1991Mar20.223535.248@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> <1991Mar22.040419.27268@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> Sender: davidm@cimshop.UUCP Distribution: comp Organization: Consilium Inc., Mountain View, California Lines: 61 In-reply-to: es1@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu's message of 22 Mar 91 04:04:19 GMT >>>>> On 22 Mar 91 04:04:19 GMT, es1@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Ethan Solomita) said: Ethan> In article Ethan> cimshop!davidm@uunet.UU.NET (David S. Masterson) writes: David> The only thing I see wrong with the A500 is the placement of the David> expansion port. If something could be done so that most expansions for David> the A500 don't occupy so much desktop space, I think home users would David> be very happy. And, ultimately, home users are the people that the David> A500 (or whatever the low-end Amiga is) has to attract. That means David> very low price (probably <$300 to begin with) and reasonable and easy David> expansion when they have the money (expansion devices available in David> <$300 increments). Ethan> I guess I should've explained my problems with the A500 a bit better. Ethan> 1) Attached keyboard is ugly Ethan> 2) I like the keyboard on my lap. Impossible here. Just an Ethan> Ethanism though. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder -- to the home user, low price can make many things forgivable. And that is where the A500 has to focus! Ethan> 3) You can't put a monitor on top. This is very inconvenient if Ethan> you don't have much space True, but many computer desktops take that into account. Ethan> 4) Very important though is the expandability. Yes, you can Ethan> expand via the slot at the left, but you are paying a lot for Ethan> extra casing and power supply, which also looks real ugly and Ethan> gets even more in the way. Yes, this extra space is the real problem. Not many (cheap) computer desktops take that into account. This raises the cost to the first-time computer buyer. If the A500 could be designed better for that, great. Ethan> If it were possible to put a hard drive INSIDE the case, Ethan> there would be a big cost savings for those who want an HD. It might be that the case should be expanded to allow internal addition of a hard drive (assuming that most first-time Amiga buyers simply want the basic computer with a hard drive). Ethan> I certainly don't want the A500 to disappear. But there Ethan> needs to be some model that is right for those who want a machine Ethan> usable for real applications (i.e. a hard drive) and minimal Ethan> expandability, in a well-designed machine. That is what I'm Ethan> looking for. The A500 should be this machine, though! It should meet the most minimum capabilities and have a low price for the first time buyers. It should also be readily expandable to this in-between state without forcing the first time buyer to give up what he already has. -- ==================================================================== David Masterson Consilium, Inc. (415) 691-6311 640 Clyde Ct. uunet!cimshop!davidm Mtn. View, CA 94043 ==================================================================== "If someone thinks they know what I said, then I didn't say it!"