Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!mcsun!ukc!icdoc!syma!grahamt
From: grahamt@syma.sussex.ac.uk (Graham S Thomas)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: How is Atari doing in Europe?
Message-ID: <5360@syma.sussex.ac.uk>
Date: 15 Jun 91 16:16:14 GMT
References: <1991Jun14.010821.9903@noose.ecn.purdue.edu>
Organization: SPRU, Univ. of Sussex, Brighton, UK
Lines: 28

From article <1991Jun14.010821.9903@noose.ecn.purdue.edu>, by yegerleh@vivaldi.ecn.purdue.edu (James D Yegerlehner):
> I don't think Atari is making much of a splash over here (yet?)
> with the new STEs and TTs, but can any of you guys over in Europe
> say how the new machines are being received there?  Is Atari 
> maintaining the significant market share that it once had?

I'm fairly sure Atari's market share in the UK is declining.  Most STs
here have been sold as games machines, and judging from the relative
amounts of software in the shops and the number and thickness of
magazines on the newsstands, the Amiga's winning hands down in that
arena.

Anything else has been niche marketing.  The TT is more expensive here
than in some other countries, partly because Atari don't expect to sell
many.  The Mega STE hasn't even been released here yet - it's just been
delayed even further until the beginning of July.

Atari are still selling a fair number of STFMs (still!) and STEs, and
the existing number of installed machines means that games and music
software will continue to be produced here, along with the occasional
non-games product.  Also, Atari UK have started to advertise the ST as a
'serious' computer again.  But, in my opinion, it's too little, too
late.  The best is not yet to come.

Graham
-- 
Graham Thomas, SPRU, Mantell Building, U of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9RF, UK
Email: grahamt@syma.sussex.ac.uk   Phone: +44 273 678165   Fax: .. 685865