Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!mailrus!nrl-cmf!ames!oliveb!sun!pepper!cmcmanis
From: cmcmanis%pepper@Sun.COM (Chuck McManis)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: WHAT ATARI NEEDS TO DO...
Message-ID: <48536@sun.uucp>
Date: 6 Apr 88 20:39:43 GMT
References: <166leigh@byuvax.bitnet> <2059@pasteur.Berkeley.Edu> <81@avsd.UUCP>
Sender: news@sun.uucp
Reply-To: cmcmanis@sun.UUCP (Chuck McManis)
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mountain View
Lines: 60

In article <81@avsd.UUCP> govett@avsd.UUCP (David Govett) writes:
->It has been said before, but I'll repeat it because few seem to
->have understood.
->
->Except for a few hackers, most people buy computers as a platform
->to run SOFTWARE.  (Would you buy a TV if only crap were shown?
->What am I saying?)

Good point, but ...

->High-quality standard packages are NOT available in quantity
->for the ST, and Atari doesn't seem to care.  When they do
->become available (e.g., WordPerfect), they cost more than they
->do in the DOS world.  I did not buy an ST to pay more for 
->software.

WordPerfect lists for $395 for the IBM PC, Amiga, and Atari ST. They 
all cost the 'same'. Distributors get a volume discount, they pass these
on to the dealer and the dealer may sell it for more under list for the
PC than for the Atari, but that is only because they are moving more
product. 

I agree whole heartedly that what the world needs is more quality 
software. What the users need to understand is that cost is a function
of 
	CO$T = (QUALITY + $UPPORT) / (SIZE OF MARKET)

A high quality Page Layout program for the Sun Workstation costs $3000
the same program for the Macintosh costs $800. Why ? Because the market
is bigger thats why. 

The Atari User community has to understand that it is impossible to stay
in business by selling a complicated, quality program for less then $200. 
Sure it would be nice but until there are 4 million of you to distribute 
the cost it won't happen. And until you can prove that you are willing to
pay what it costs to get the software you demand no one will write it.
Word Perfect Corp took a big chance when they introduced WP for the Atari
and Amiga. Both were 'unproven' markets. I know that they recouped their
entire development investment for the Amiga in 7 days of sales. What
that does is make people like Ashton Tate, Microsoft, and Borland look
seriously at the Amiga market. It can work for the Atari too but you have
to prove yourselves. And if the only thing you are interested in buying
are games then that is all anyone will write for you. 

Atari really has nothing to do with this at all. Look at the pains people
go through to make something work under MS-DOS with 5 graphics 'standards'
no less than 10 memory models that even the users don't understand, and 
zero standardization on such things as mice and peripherals. Basically,
it is worth it because they know they can recoup those costs. In a third
order effect Atari affects the cost of software, since the tougher it is
to write, the more expensive it is and thus the end cost is expensive.
But don't think about it that way. Vote with your wallet, if you like a
program, buy it! That message will come through loud and clear on the
software publisher/dealer channels. 



--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.