Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!udel!haven.umd.edu!uvaarpa!vger.nsu.edu!manes From: manes@vger.nsu.edu ((Mark D. Manes), Norfolk State University) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy Subject: Re: Commodore Business Machines Message-ID: <1109.2865f0a9@vger.nsu.edu> Date: 24 Jun 91 17:16:25 GMT References: <7471@vela.acs.oakland.edu> Lines: 124 In article <7471@vela.acs.oakland.edu>, lmbailey@vela.acs.oakland.edu (Laurana Bailey) writes: > [Intro about CBM screwing up...deleted] > > My boyfriend runs a Paragon BBS off and on when he's got the extra $$$ > to do so. He writes a door program called Castle Dungeon for it that > is popular on a lot of Paragon/StarNet, TransAmiga, and XenoLink BBS > systems. This puts him in contact with a lot of other BBS sysops. One > of the ones he's become good friends with runs ClickMeTwice BBS, a 6 > line system dedicated to serving the Amiga, which also happens to be a > computer dealer for the Amiga. Al, the owner of the store and BBS > system, is going bankrupt selling Amigas. He has recently been posting > some of the reasons why in the Amiga FidoNet Echomail areas. Some of > you may have already seen them. He is not alone. We have heard from > other dealers around the country who have had multiple problems with > Commodore resulting in their not being able to maintain a profit and > thus closing their doors. Well I can't comment on messages that I have not seen, but I can respond from a dealer perspective since I work at one as a software developer. It is true that it is difficult to stay alive in the retail business selling Amigas. There are lots of reasons, not all of them the fault of Commodore. Most people when they decide they need to buy a computer, they ask their friends and of course they say "buy an IBM compatible, and here [handing them a copy of computer shopper] is where you can get them cheap!!" So a dealership has to deal with two problems up front. The first being why they should consider an Amiga over an IBM and why they should purchase from a dealer instead of mailorder. Commodore has told their dealers that they should not sit on their butts and wait for the retail sale. It doesn't happen. Instead the dealer needs to get involved with outside sales. That is _exactly_ the way Video Computer Resources is handling things. Our retail store provides a communication area where we meet our customers, staff members go out and beat the bushes. It really is not that hard, most Amiga users can provide a unique insight as to where to go, and in some cases can even arrange times for demonstrations. Commodore US sales represenatives make their money based on the units sold through their respective dealers. This represenative is at our call for shows, GSA demonstrations and anything else we can think of. That level of support exists if the dealer is willing to do some legwork. > > Al called Commodore and voiced his complaints and was only told "Come > up with $10,000 and we'll co-op one with you for your area." What? If > Al had $10,000 he wouldn't NEED the advertising that was PROMISED, > he'd be making a profit on a machine that would have to be selling. He > isn't though and as such he will be closing down. He's fully expecting > Commodore to pull his dealership status for having the gall to speak > out about his problems, and with the way Commodore has been the last > few years, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if they did. I'll wager there may be _other_ reasons other than a phone call. Perhaps you can name the dealer? > > I once had big hopes for Commodore and the Amiga, but both seemed > doomed to stay a second class company with a second class machine. > When the rumors of the Hewlett Packard buy-out were floating around I > PRAYED it would happen! Whatever HP did with the Amiga, it would STILL > have been more than what CBM was doing. Same thing with the recent > Sony rumors. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE will someone with some > advertising BRAINS and interest in advanced R&D PLEASE BUY OUT > COMMODORE and get this thing MOVING in SOME sort of direction!?!? Funny I don't remember being flooded on tv or on the radio with HP and Sony advertisements. What makes you think they know about marketing? I think the "What If..." advertisements were just as bas as "Stevie" was. > > Enough of my ramblings. I've given up hope on CBM and the Amiga. I > will continue to use my machine happily until Commodore inevitably > dies off and then I will probably buy a Macintosh. Sure it's more > expensive, but there won't be a CBM around to offer anything better so > why sweat it. It's been fun Commodore, wish you would have done a > better job. Now that is the paragraph that gets my goat. The concept of the company and the machine being second rate because you think you can do a better job. It is not as simple as writing a check for advertising. It is not as simple as giving the Amiga 24 bit graphics as standard. If both of these things were done today it would make ZERO difference to anybody outside of the Amiga community. Commodore could help their dealers by doing more advertising, there is little question there. However, they could help their dealers more by providing better price protection and lower dealer prices on all of the cpu's. It would even be a great help if Commodore would reduce the number of reports required so that dealers can get to the business of selling computers! It would not hurt Commodore's reputation any to pay to have some of the major software packages ported to the Amiga. It would do the Amiga community a great service if the problems between Commodore and Borland were solved. I would love QuatroPro for the Amiga! It will be a combination of these things and a continuing with a single course in system development. I have enjoyed the fact that since Dionne took over there has not been a 180 degree course change. UNIX is still there, the A3000 is still there, and the Power Up program is here! Give Commodore a break! You should have seen them in 1985! ;-) Want to know a company that really can't do anyting but screw up their machine and the dealerships? Atari Corp. > > Laurana > -- > /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ > |Just another lemming... | Yet another Amiga maniac set loose | > | | on the world...and you thought things| > |lmbailey@vela.acs.oakland.edu | couldn't get any worse. | +------------------------------------------------------+ ///// | Mark D. Manes | ///// | email: manes@vger.nsu.edu | ///// | phone: (804) 683-2532 | \\\\\///// +------------------------------------------------------+ \\\\// Amiga! "Atari is what Commodore was."