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From: drc@dbase.UUCP (Dennis Cohen)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Apple Hates You and other Misco
Message-ID: <251@dbase.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 28-Oct-87 08:54:08 EST
Article-I.D.: dbase.251
Posted: Wed Oct 28 08:54:08 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 4-Nov-87 04:33:12 EST
References: <549@auscso.UUCP> <76000032@uiucdcsp>
Organization: Ashton Tate Development Center Glendale Cal.
Lines: 30
Summary: Apple 2, IBM 1?

In article <76000032@uiucdcsp>, gillies@uiucdcsp.cs.uiuc.edu writes:
> 
> These details about the Apple III and Lisa I/II failure are very
> interesting.  They explain how apple has stumbled twice but never
> completely fallen as a PC design company.  Each time they persisted in
> trying to market a certain class of machine.  Their persistence seems
> to have eventually paid off handsomely (apple has gone on successfully
> with the IIc, the IIe, and the entire family of 5 Macs).
> 
> IBM, I believe, only stumbled with the PCjr (and slightly with the
> AT).  They killed it any gave up on the market completely.  I wonder
> what will happen if they stumble with the new PS/2 line (which I think
> they will) -- will they get out of the PC business of become a
> spectator manufacture?
> 
> Don Gillies {ihnp4!uiucdcs!gillies} U of Illinois

I seem to recall a PC9000 (a 68000 based machine from IBM) which stumbled quite
badly as has their RT.  IBM stumbles a lot (a number of their larger systems
have been failures); however, their return on investment has been good.  The
same is true of Apple.  Market research and consumer testing can only tell you
so much about your target audience.  The biggest problem is satisfying the
detailed expectations of the market with a _package_ which doesn't satisfy it.

Dennis Cohen
Ashton-Tate Glendale Development Center
dBASE Mac Development Team
--------------------------
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed above are my own.  I don't know what (if any)
opinions my employer might have.