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From: cmcmanis@pepper.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Bundled Software
Message-ID: <24760@sun.uucp>
Date: Mon, 3-Aug-87 16:31:25 EDT
Article-I.D.: sun.24760
Posted: Mon Aug  3 16:31:25 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 5-Aug-87 03:18:59 EDT
References: <17701UH2@PSUVM> <1583@ulowell.cs.ulowell.edu>
Sender: news@sun.uucp
Reply-To: cmcmanis@sun.UUCP (Chuck McManis)
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mountain View
Lines: 68
Summary: Its true, so why is it bad?

[I guess this one comes under the heading, you can't please everyone all 
of the time. ]

Yes, it is true, Commodore will be offering a 'bundling deal' to User
Group members. On BIX, Gail Wellington of Commodore, posted a message
to the effect that 'real' User groups (those that can send a list of
their members to Commodore) will be given an opportunity to purchase
a discounted system for the club, and the members will be given an
opportunity to by one of these software bundles. Call CBM if you want
more info (Westchester, PA). Bob Page thinks this is a terrible thing
and that several developers will 'drop out' because of it. If I may,
let me state while I think it is a good thing and maybe with enough
discussion we can raise everyones awareness of the issues.

When the Amiga first came out, in October of 1985, the words from press
and general microcomputer using population was "Yawn, neat demos but it
can't do anything." Some people, like our good friend Ed, new that the
machine was powerful but got extremely frustrated because the things that
he wanted to do were impossible. Fortunately everyone who liked to program
and new neatness when they saw it bought one and started writing all sorts
of neat little programs for it. Now, it is 1987, and Commodore is apparently
going to re-introduce the Amiga to the general computer audience. What 
they have done to make it attractive to the generic PC user is to offer
them a bundle of programs that they would find useful. In the area of
hardware they essentially offer two machines.

  The Amiga 2000 - Expandable, optionally PC compatible *NOW*, with cheaper
	harddisks available, and with future growth to a 68020.

  The Amiga 500 - Expandable (but not as easily), minorly PC compatible (with
	the transformer), expensive harddisks available, but a low entry price.


Now after looking at the neat Demos when the customer say's "Thats great,
but what can it DO?" The dealer can really offer word processing, spreadsheets,
creative tools, and some data bases. There is actually decent software out
there now, and with this bundling deal they can give someone some programs
that do what they are most likely to want to do, for a damn good price. And
*that* can be the difference between a PC-Klone sale, and an Amiga sale. Sure
Joe User can buy an AT-clone for the same price as an Amiga 2000, but all 
this other stuff would put him over the top as far as software goes. 

This should dramatically increase the saleability of Amigas. That increases
the installed base, and as a developer that increases your potential revenue.
But you argue, "I was working on Whiz-Paint and now everyone gets Deluxe
Paint with this bundle that *decreases* my potential revenue." To which I
would argue that it does not. Even while Deluxe Paint has a > 75% penetration
into the Amiga market, people still buy Aegis Images. Why? Because everyone
is different and there is always a way to improve on something. And now,
with the 50% more Amigas out there you get 50% more bucks for the same
amount of market penetration. 

And what about Atari? The Mega ST could be trouble if Atari gets it's act
together. Why? Because they have Mac compatibility now, which is a feature,
and if the add multitasking the people in the world who thought the IBM 
Color Graphics Adapter was state of the art will opt for it's lower price. 
I see the 'bundle' as being a real sore spot for Atari because it makes the
Amiga more 'Mac like' with a word processor and a paint program, than PC
like. And a lot of people percieve Mac's as being classier than IBMs.

So to wind down, and to give me a chance to don my Asbestos Free heat suit,
I think that the bundles are a great idea, and will only help the Amiga
market and the Developers. Bob, and others please enlighten me, as to why
this is the end of the earth. I really want to know.

--Chuck McManis
uucp: {anywhere}!sun!cmcmanis   BIX: cmcmanis  ARPAnet: cmcmanis@sun.com
These opinions are my own and no one elses, but you knew that didn't you.