Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!ll-xn!husc6!necntc!ames!mike From: mike@ames.UUCP (Mike Smithwick) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: Amiga's Enemy: Another View Message-ID: <1571@ames.UUCP> Date: Mon, 18-May-87 15:06:13 EDT Article-I.D.: ames.1571 Posted: Mon May 18 15:06:13 1987 Date-Received: Tue, 19-May-87 04:45:19 EDT References: <487@gryphon.CTS.COM> <1757@vax135.UUCP> Reply-To: mike@ames.UUCP (Mike Smithwick) Distribution: world Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. Lines: 66 Keywords: hi two cents, for what it's worth In article <12033@topaz.rutgers.edu> lachac@topaz.rutgers.edu (Gerard Lachac) writes: >That's old news. What recently happened was he moved from part time to full >time work at the store. When he did this he was REQUIRED to attend a course >sponsered by Apple (6 days I think) at which he had hands on experience with >the Mac and Mac II. They taught him the machine, or at least its finer points >and the way in which to sell it, the markets to aim for, the software to demo, >and so forth. > >The point is that he is a hacker, and is pro-Amiga til death. He admits >though, that he is very impressed by Apples dedication to their dealers >and their product line. He wished CBM was this way. > I'll second that report. Last week, I attended an Apple seminar about the Mac-SE and the Mac-Too, at a local store. There was relatively little hype (comparatively speaking, of course), and it even ventured into the technical side of things, which was refreshing. There was one official Apple sales rep, and a Tech type who did most of the talking. When asking the sales rep some technical questions, he told me that they, (the sales staff) were still out in the cold wrt. the "official apple tech training". This was because, all of the Apple training effort was going to equipping their *** DEALERS *** first. This is understandable since the dealers are having to sell {arbitrarily large number} of $$ of computer gear to corporations. Since CA in the US has largely dealt with home computers being sold thru K-Mart, there has been very little incentive to support this kind of outreach up until now. The Amiga is such an oddball machine. There has always been the a wall between the "business" and "home" computers, and seldom have they crossed the line. How do you market a machine which has such a wide variety of applications, in business, home, AND scientific institutions. If a computer is perceived as being largely for home use, then "obviously it can't be a good office machine", and if it is seen as an office computer, then "obviously it's too complex for little Johnny to use for his class reports." The Mac has helped to slowly break down this wall, but not enough. With luck the Amiga 2000 will help it even more, because of the Bridge card. (Although, it's unique ability in business graphics presentations, titling etc. should help it in it's own right. . .). Much also has got to be said about the unpaid sales staff, the "Amiga Evan- gelists". In the beginning, we KNEW that we had the best machine, and wanted to let the whole world know. One must stop and cogitate as to where CA, and the Amiga might be without those who, unpaid and on their own time, sold the machine to friends and others. I met one fellow at the Mac seminar who is a Navy pilot and had just bought his amiga 3 days before. He talked a commander of his into buying one, well before he got one for himself. There is an engineer at Lockheed who has managed to goad them in to buying several machines (and are now planning on buying several A2000s). There are those diehards who formed something called "the First Amiga Users Group" about 1 1/2 years ago. What started out as a simple passtime, now requires an enormous amount of freetime to support a club approaching 1000 members, with a 32 page monthly magazine. Then, of course, are the Fred Fishs, the Leo Schwabs, the Matt Dillions, who know a good computer when they meet one. Where would the Amiga be without them? They and the rest of us are doing the job that CA should be doing, but seems sadly ill-equipped, or unwilling, to do. OOPS, the boss is coming. Uh, hi, just practicing my typi [TERMINAL EOT] -- *** mike (powered by M&Ms) smithwick *** "ever felt like life was a game, and someone gave you the wrong instruction book?"