Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!ncis.llnl.gov!helios.ee.lbl.gov!pasteur!ucbvax!pro-pac.cts.com!tsouth From: tsouth@pro-pac.cts.com (System Administrator) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple Subject: Bye bye Billion Message-ID: <8901201318.AA05736@crash.cts.com> Date: 20 Jan 89 05:37:20 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Reply-To: pnet01!pro-simasd!pro-nsfmat!pro-pac!tsouth@nosc.mil Organization: The Internet Lines: 99 As long as others seem to be jumping on the fight back wagon, I think that I would like to add a few comments. If the folks at Apple (who work in Apple ][ support) would pass this on the whoever cares it would be appreciated. In 1987 sales the Apple ][ market supposedly did over one billion dollars in sales. This is from a machine which you and I both know was limited in its architecture for non-technical reasons. This is a machine that almost everyone (especially Ken what's-his-name-who-we-want-to-find-out how-he-runs-EduCOM-and-also-what-his-Email-address-is!) has stated is outdated, out-moded, and an ancient in its technological makeup. The local Heath/Zenith on Oahu (where anyone in Hawaii in the know actually buys Apple from) supposedly pushed more Apple //gs's in Christmas '87 than any other Heath/Zenith dealer in the USA. (One week they were literally stacked to the ceiling, the next they were _sold_). Then Apple raised their prices 35%, while at the same time coming out with an 8-bit machine which runs faster than their elaborate 16-bit machine. Let me tell you, there were a few buyers (of the //c+) but for the most part people could not afford the //gs anymore. You priced it out of their range folks, and just because YOU think that it deserves that kind of mark up doesn't mean the consumers agree with you. This last years showed a renewal of the Commodore Colt buyers and Amiga 500 buyers (at least in this community). The only persons that are even buying Apple ][ hardware are schools, and they are doing so because they cannot (probably ever) afford to throw away the large previous investments which you have asked them to make in your (Apple) educational systems. Now, you may say that you have kept a good time table on these (Apple ][) systems; you may even believe this. But, the fact of the matter is you are going to have to decide a few things about your company, its goals, and whether you are going to step on your consumers to meet these goals or be an active participant in the forums and paths which you (as a company) have initiated. This is rather blunt, but this is the way _I_ definitely feel, and I believe that others are trying to say the same thing. We have supported you as much as we can, both economically and verbally. I personally have pursuaded upwards of 100 people to purchase Apple ][ products for themselves and their families. I have found a good hobby which has turned a profit once in a while, but for the most part I fund it to keep the dream alive for me, my friends, and others I do not even know. The attitude of a number of dreamers is slowly turning, though. They are leaving the Apple family and whether you want to admit it or not, they are all not decisively buying Mac SE's or Mac II's instead. (If a person cannot afford a $3000 //gs they most certainly are not going to buy a $10000 Mac II!!! Seriously, look at the numbers. Maybe you do not see it, but the people on feeds like comp.sys.amiga are amazed at the number of Amiga 500 buyers who have purchased due to the overpricing of other companies (selling machines which don't even have the same speed, resolution, or power of Amiga's). If the rumors about Apple loosing a RAM contract are true, I'm sorry, but you would still have to go a long way to show me that this is the reason for the across the board 35% increase in product pricing (and I have the notes from your last stock holders meeting). I know all too well how good the Mac is doing. I also know that the Apple ][ could do _just as well_ if you would give it the same proportion (based on sales) of development you have the Mac line. Rebuttal!?!?! How many people are working on the Apple ][ family at this time? :-| What say you think about doing a few good things... Applelink - Personal Edition was a helluva start, but still the majority of the resources on that forum are for the Mac, not the Apple ][ user. What to do? I really think you should purchase the APDA and have some hiring-fest with some of the fanatics that are abundant in the support industry. Then, put them in control of this forum. I'd buy almost ANYTHING that Uncle-Dos signed his name to! I'm sure that a large portion of Applers feel exactly the same way. What else? Well, how's about giving those overworked people in the Apple ][ support section some serious bucks to develop a machine(s) that will go _forward_ with the Apple ][ line and be on the market once every _two_ years minimum. Contrary to popular belief, I really believe that users would go for upgrades on a tighter schedule that you are currently providing for the Apple ][ line. Lastly, get us some decent storage mediums now! Change the Apple SCSI card to conform to normal SCSI configurations, or at _least_ support the other major companies which are providing storage at a much cheaper rate (than you). You may not like companies like CMS or Sider out selling this Apple SCSI, but they sure sell a lot more Apple ][ computers in the long run! Oh, and that CD-Rom, get us a good writable/eraseable medium for a comparative (to current hard drive) price and I think you will be taken quite a bit back by the number of purchases. [I still shiver from watch the Woz say that no one is ready for the amount of information available on CD-Rom's! Heck my 80 megger gets taxed to its limits as it stands!] Either way, please take this as a suggestive post and not a flame. I truly do appreciate the attention that Apple ][ supporters in the company are giving us (as a group). The people that are trying to help us stay viable are continuing the dream, while at the same time moving forward and not becoming a stagnant force. Thank you. Todd South -- UUCP: {nosc, cacilj, sdcsvax, hplabs!hp-sdd, sun.COM} ...!crash!pnet01!pro-nsfmat!pro-pac!tsouth ARPA: crash!pnet01!pro-nsfmat!pro-pac!tsouth@nosc.MIL INET: tsouth@pro-pac.CTS.COM - BITNET: pro-pac.UUCP!tsouth@PSUVAX1