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From: hammen@gumby.UUCP (Marvin the Paranoid Android)
Newsgroups: net.micro.mac
Subject: Re: mathematics of support pricing
Message-ID: <110@gumby.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 18-Apr-86 09:31:41 EST
Article-I.D.: gumby.110
Posted: Fri Apr 18 09:31:41 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 21-Apr-86 02:47:46 EST
References: <2008@decwrl.DEC.COM> <106@kesmai.UUCP> <13041@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <11328@amdcad.UUCP>
Organization: Magrathea
Lines: 54

In article <11328@amdcad.UUCP>, jimb@amdcad.UUCP (Jim Budler) writes:
> >How would you like to buy a GM car (a complete Lisa aka XL costed about that
> >much: Lisa + memory board + software + printer) and then be told six months
> >later by GM that (a) they have decided that making your car was a mistake,
> >(b) they will do their best to ignore its existence, and (c) if you want
> >a new, smaller one you can give them another $1499.
> >
> >In point of fact auto makers do not do this. When a model is abandoned, they
> >usually establish a 10-15 year supply of parts for it.  Ditto when an auto
> >mfg goes out of business.  It is still possible to buy Kaiser and Studebaker
> >parts.
> 
> Do not do what.  In point of fact they do (a) and (c)... all your examples
> were concerned with (b).  And nowhere have I seen anyone from Apple
> say that you cannot buy spare parts for your Lisa.  They have said they
> intend no further development of Lisa.
> 
> Ford intends no further development of the Edsel. They would let you trade
> it in with addition of money, on something they do support.
> -- 
>  Jim Budler
>  Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.

	One of the problems I, and many other Lisa owners have, is a problem  
with sofftware (specifically, the hard-disk trashing habit of MacWorks). It
was only a year ago that the Lisa (oops, Mac XL) was being touted by Apple as
THE hard-disk solution for the Macintosh--the heart of the Macintosh Office.
Now, today, try to get ahold of someone at Apple to even mention the problem
and to complain about it.  I've talked to everyone from sales reps to service
technicians, and each one of those persons has said, 'Gee, that's too bad.
But have you heard about our Lisa upgrade policy?'  I get the distinct
impression from Apple that this is the only kind of software support we will
get: if we upgrade to the latest model, we won't lose all our data. 
No one knows anything if there is/will be a new version of MacWorks that will
correct the problem or if there will be an HFS-compatible MacWorks ( Odd, 
isn't it, that one of the few hard disks that doesn't support the new Apple
file system is made by Apple?).  I guess I could understand this giving up on
the MacWorks problem if my machine were five years old, but geez, it's not
even been a year since its cancellation.
	I still say: look at the Mac product line: it's only a little more 
than 2 years old, and Apple has already gone through the Lisa, the Mac 128
and the Mac 512 (offering upgrade paths for each).  How do they expect to
get loyal customers when every year or so they completely revamp their 
product line?  (Of course, let's not forget what Apple told businesses
upon the introduction of the Lisa--'It's the first machine in a family
that will last 10 years.' Of course, those were the days when Apple hyped
its 'Lisa Technology'--do you think you'll ever hear anyone from Apple say
those words again?).
Sorry for the long and disorganized flame, but try to understand the
frustrations of a Lisa owner.  You'd be a little upset as well.

Robert J. Hammen   {seismo,ihnp4,allegra,harvard,topaz}!uwvax!puff!hammen
UW-Madison CS Dept.  hammen@puff.wisc.edu
UW-Madison Plasma Physics Dept.  plasma%wiscpsl.bitnet {@wiscvm.wisc.edu}