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From: ed@plx.UUCP (Ed Chaban)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Future Amigas & suggestions
Message-ID: <320@plx.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 14-Nov-86 17:24:46 EST
Article-I.D.: plx.320
Posted: Fri Nov 14 17:24:46 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 16-Nov-86 00:05:48 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: Plexus Computers; San Jose, CA
Lines: 66

> In summary, I don't believe Commodore should even think about directly
> competing in the workstation market - the support would be too expensive.

In summary, I don't believe Commodore has ever *SERIOUSLY* thought about 
competing in *ANY* market.

> What Commodore seems to be doing from the rumors makes sense - improve what
> they have!  Yes it will compete with what's being sold now but what's being
> sold now might not go on being sold forever.  I.e., new machines REPLACE,
								   ^^^^^^^
> not compete with, the existing ones.  I doubt, for example, if Apple sells
> too many basic Macintoshes anymore.  The Mac Plus is a much better machine.

You're missing the point. Apple allowed those folks who bought the early
128K "Wimp-Mac" the opportunity to upgrade their systems rather than junk
them. Amiga has no such plans.

> Commodore is in the home and personal computer business, as I see it, and not
> the "micro-mini" or workstation market.

If so, why are "Hackers & Engineers" so endeared to the product?
Why is there a *DEARTH* of decent Productivity tools and an overabundance
of games and obscure languages (FORTH etc.) no spreadsheets, no WYSIWIG
wordprocessors, no affordable Hard Disks.

The personal computer marketplace demands THREE (count 'em 3) basic
features to insure a product's success:

	(1) Spreadsheets
		a. IBM has Lotus.
		b. Mac has EXCEL.
		c. AMIGA has MAXIPLAN which was written in C (READ: shit!)
			 or VIP which ignores all the wonderful hardware.

	(2) Word Processing
		a. IBM practically defined it with Wordstar.
		b. Mac did it one better with the Laserwriter & WYSIWIG.
		c. AMIGA is nonexistent.

	(3) A comittment to keeping the product alive 
		a. The IBM PC has been around for eons. 
		b. The Apple ][ lives on and the Mac has been 
		   here for about 4 years.
		c. AMIGA is about a year old and will be
		   "Replaced" (you said it, I diddn't) in
		   a few months.

So how does AMIGA stack up? Remember, the buying public does not 
appreciate elaborate hardware! they want a tool to get their work done.
To a novice, the ATARI ST, AMIGA and APPLE ][GS are identical. All have color
All have mice and all are 16 bit CPUs. Bit Blitters & sprites are FINE 
if all you want to do is shoot rocks and play PAC-MAN.

The saddest part about the entire AMIGA marketing effort is that it has been 
Technology driven rather than customer driven. AMIGA never really 
chose a group of potential customers. Rather than concentrate on applications
AMIGA chose to concentrate on "The better mousetrap" approach. The problem
here is that the more complex the mousetrap grew, the less usable it
became to amateur mouse-catchers.

Nuff Said!

Ed Chaban (former AMIGA owner!)
Plexus Computers Inc.
Phone: (408) 943-2226
Net: sun!plx!ed