Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!amdahl!oliveb!amiga!jimm
From: jimm@amiga.UUCP (Jim Mackraz)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Jerry declares the 2000 as 'the most improved computer'
Message-ID: <3606@amiga.UUCP>
Date: 10 Mar 89 23:11:57 GMT
References: <8903011852.AA16426@jade.berkeley.edu> <6193@columbia.edu> <10901@well.UUCP> <794@zehntel.UUCP> <10923@well.UUCP> <6206@cbmvax.UUCP>
Reply-To: jimm@cloyd.UUCP (Jim Mackraz)
Distribution: na
Organization: Commodore-Amiga Inc, Los Gatos CA
Lines: 43

In article <6206@cbmvax.UUCP> jesup@cbmvax.UUCP (Randell Jesup) writes:
)	Of course, Apple making a postscript laser printer doesn't hurt them,
)either.

In fact, I think it's the main reason.  Also, providing font substitution
support in the system helps.  Perhaps another big reason is focusing on 
black-and-white.

Also, having QuickDraw made draw programs a lot easier to support, and provided
a structured draw interchange format that makes for lots nicer illustrations
than ILBM IFF images.  I believe that many of the QD constructs convert
to PS in a hi-res way, unlike ILBM.

Also, making it clear that the target audience of the system was the
office user rather than the home user might help encourage a major developer
to have a wack at it.  Our current DTP is probably about as good as the
first releases of Mac DTP was.  That is to say, it takes time, people, 
experience, and money to do the hard stuff right.  Release 1 of someone's
first DTP program is like using release 1 of a compiler (or an OS, for that
matter): not too satisfying.

The VP of CBM Marketing, as well as Max Toy, president CBM, said that
the business market will not be attacked in a general way in a "shotgun" approach,
rather, some (unspecified) "pinpoint" niches will be attacked.  That means
no focus on DTP by the vendor, as I read it.  Of course, that VP is gone now ...

In summary, I think DTP, like most other areas, is something that the
vendor must target and develop a strategy for, including the technical
pieces such as a suitable text processing model, and it hasn't happened.
Putting together a bundle with Gold Disk doesn't seem to cut the nut.

It will be interesting to see if Atari has any success with their "complete
solution" which includes a printer and PS interpreter.

	jimm

    Note the disclaimer well, please.

-- 
Jim Mackraz, I and I Computing	   	"Like you said when we crawled down
{cbmvax,well,oliveb}!amiga!jimm          from the trees: We're in transition."
							- Gang of Four
Opinions are my own.  Comments are not to be taken as Commodore official policy.