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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!rutgers!cbmvax!higgin
From: higgin@cbmvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Commodore Enhancer production et al.
Message-ID: <1442@cbmvax.cbmvax.cbm.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 20-Feb-87 09:35:43 EST
Article-I.D.: cbmvax.1442
Posted: Fri Feb 20 09:35:43 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 21-Feb-87 06:19:13 EST
References: <2691@ecsvax.UUCP>
Reply-To: higgin@cbmvax.UUCP (Paul Higginbottom SALES)
Organization: Commodore Technology, West Chester, PA
Lines: 74

In article <2691@ecsvax.UUCP> urjlew@ecsvax.UUCP (Rostyk Lewyckyj) writes:
$> (Paul Higginbottom SALES)
$> Commodore Technology, West Chester, PA
$
$ defending the slow deliveries of Enhancer kits  writes:
$
$>50 per dealer x 1000 dealers is 50,000 kits!  That's 200,000 disks (I
$>think there's 4 in an Enhancer kit), not to mention a mountain of paper.
$>
$>So you see orders don't usually go out in one crack.  All production of
$>everything else would have to halt to make that many kits!
$>Please be patient.  We're cranking them out as fast as possible!
$
$ Actually Mr. Higginbottom is being a little modest on Commodores'
$ behalf in one way. Only 50,000 kits? I had read that at least 100,000
$ A1000 machines had been sold by Dec. 86.

I was basing my calculation upon what dealers would order (considering
the fact that they won't go right ahead and automatically buy as many
enhancer kits as the number of Amigas they have sold).

$ That would be before V1.2 had
$ been released. So let us assume that a full 100,000 kits are needed.
$ However I only remember 3 disks in my kit: KS, WB, and extras. So that
$ makes for 300,000 disks. (Paul will you please send me the fourth disk!-)

Ok, ok, I wasn't sure.  No, there isn't a 4th disk I now realize.

$ Now just out of curiosity I did a little experiment and some calculation.

	<calculates that it would take 60 days, using 7 machines, and...
	working 20 hours in each of those days (WILDLY OPTIMISTIC ASSUMPTIONS)
	to produce 300,000 disks>

$ As regards the printed pamphlet of documentation that comes with the
$ Enhancer. A tirage of 100,000 of those is not very big for a medium
$ sized print shop.
$ As to volume ...
$ Each Enhancer kit is 23 x 20 x 1.2 cm. in size. So the total volume
$ of 100,000 kits will be about 55.2 cubic meters < 5 x 6 x 2 meters.
$ 
$ So what's happening to Commodores'  Amiga division production capacity?.
$ Or am I somehow misjudging the size of Commodore?

Two things you overlooked.

	1) You omitted the time to make the kits.  That is, take a box,
the stickers, the registration cards, the disks and sleeves, and then
shrink wrap the thing.

	2) Enhancer kits are not the ONLY thing Commodore's software
production facility has to make!!!  They're doing C64 and C128 stuff,
the regular software that goes with cpus and peripherals, the s/w
products (C Compilers, TextCraft, etc.), and let's not forget the
developer's kits, updates, etc.

$ Could the people from various areas around the country comment on
$ whether stores in their area are receiving Amiga products from
$ Commodore in a timely fashion? I understand that dealers have to
$ pre-pay orders rather than pay for them on receipt. Is this so?

You've been reading too much of our competitor's newsgroups.

$ Rostyk Lewyckyj,  urjlew@ecsvax   or  urjlew@tucc.bitnet
$ disclaimer: You alone are responsible for believing any claims or
$ statements presented above. I disavow their applicability for any
$ purpose either stated, implied or assumed. These statements are mine,
$ made without the knowledge or permission of temporal higher authority.


	Paul Higginbottom.

Disclaimer: I work for Commodore, and personal opinions expressed do not
necessarily reflect those of the company.