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From: danielh@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM (Daniel Hartman)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject: CBM & AMIGA
Keywords: CBM AMIGA
Message-ID: <2326@tekig7.MAP.TEK.COM>
Date: 27 Jun 91 20:03:15 GMT
Sender: news@tekig7.MAP.TEK.COM
Lines: 84

Ok, I've been meaning to write a letter like this for a LONG time.

A couple of amiga users problems with commodore:

One thing that constantly amazes me about the Commodore Amiga is the fact that
CBM is still in business.  It just boggles the mind that they could possibly
sell any computers with their kinds of business decisions.

For example, in Wisconsin (I don't know if it is any different elsewhere, but...
) I only know of 1 Commodore dealer in the state.  Why?  All the dealers I've
talked to have dropped Commodore because of a couple of reasons.  First, CBM has
been pressuring them to sell their PC clone line.  What a joke.  Why would
anyone buy a Commodore PC when they could get something like a GATEWAY 2000 for
less and have a heck of a lot better computer? Second, for some unfathomable
reason, CBM has trouble getting parts to dealers.  The three timese I have had
to have repairs (2 warranty, 1 my fault), it took a month, 4 months, and just
recently I got my 3000 back after 3 weeks.  How hard can it be to ship out a
replacement motherboard? Reaallllyyyyy.

ULTRA BAD BUSINESS DECISIONS: (by CBM)

1. Making the 500 look like a C128 (no comments necessary)

2. Not putting a 68020 in the 2000 when it was introduced. (Might have stopped
   companies from making incompatible software (with the accelerated proc.) from
   the beginning.

3. Not including a hard drive with the 2000, or producing a cheap A500 or A1000
   type computer with a hard drive.  What kind of computer does NOT have a hard
   drive?  Sure, maybe a 500 might cost $800 instead of $500, but then, maybe
   people would buy a 500HD instead of a Mac Classic.

4. (When they do it), putting 2.0 on ROMs for the 3000.  It takes about 1 second
   to load in the operating system from the harddrive, PLUS, its automaticly
   put in faster RAM.

5. Not developing at least 8 bit color options by now.  Yes, I know how hard it
   is since they painted themselves into a corner with the custom chips, but
   why didn't they just make faster versions of all the custom chips on the 3000
   so they could handle higher resolutions & bitplanes from the start.  I'd
   be willing to pay another $1000 for such.

6. Not advertising.  I don't mean televison commercials (how many people go, gee
   I think I'll buy a PS/1 because I saw a TV commercial ?!?!?!?) What about
   nice advertisments in general computer magazines, or the mac strategy - put
   ads in PC Magazine and other popular PC magazines.

7. CDTV.  I'd personally rather see better graphics capabilities, 68040 boards,
   etc.

Now, it may sound like I'm biased against the low-end users.  However, you don't
hear PC and XT owners dictating how the industries going, do you?
No, its the high end users with 386s and 486s who 'control' the direction.
Also, if 500s did come with hard drives, and more were sold, then they wouldn't
cost as much, would they?

Of course, Commodore does do some things right.  For example, making the
computer and WB/KS in the first place.  Personally, I feel WB is the best
single user OS there is; why not have the best personal computer there is to
go with it?
 
Maybe its just marketing and management. Something needs to change!

Anyway, here's what I feel needs to be done.

8 bit VGA quality graphics, with or without the custom chips support.
Cheap Amiga with native hard drive - less than $1000 w/o monitor.
Dump CDTV and put some R&D where it belongs - with the amiga.
Develope good relations with dealers and increase the number of dealers.
Get Unix 2.0 out with a 68040 and have a cheap, fast unix box, that happens
   to run AMIGADOS. (backdoor method of selling amigas)
Either make a 386 bridgeboard or forget it (Cheaper just to buy another clone)
Decent advertising - maybe a full page add saying:
	Sure, the mac is easy to learn, but is it easy to use? The Amiga is
	infinitely more flexible, with GUI and CLI integrated, as well as
	other features, such as AREXX and real multitasking - plus it cost
	less than a mac and about the same as a clone.
	PC Clone power/price ratio with a real operating system.

	Or something to that effect.

Enough complaints for now.

Dan Hartman