Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ncar!noao!asuvax!gtephx!covertr
From: covertr@gtephx.UUCP (Richard E. Covert)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Federated:  Dumped by Atari!   Shame on you, Atari!
Summary: Good for Atari!!
Message-ID: <420f7cea.14e07@gtephx.UUCP>
Date: 16 Mar 89 16:46:56 GMT
References: <1308@sdcc15.ucsd.edu>
Organization: gte
Lines: 37

In article <1308@sdcc15.ucsd.edu>, pa1132@sdcc15.ucsd.edu (pa1132) writes:
> According to a Federated employee in El Cajon, CA store, Atari has
> seperated  itself from Federated.  Now Federated is in its own
> completely, and is expected to be bankrupted soon.  Atari is said to
> make "megabucks" by doing this because it can deduct the Federated
> loss from tax.   Federated is left to die on its own.  We should
> condemn Atari for its irresponsibility!  And if Atari can do this to
> Federated employees, nobody knows what Atari can do to Atari
> employees in the future!

I totally disagree with the above writer. Atari has made the best possible
decision in dumping FG. I live in anarea with many FG stores (Phoenix,AZ)
and those store are all losers. I don't shop there because of poor prices,
rotten customer service, and poor selection. Atari tried to turn the stores arounds.
Atari eeven made one of the FG stores into a model ST COMPUTER STORE and even
that didn't help improve sales much. Also, the few local independent Atari
stores (COMPUTER WORKS in Glendale AZ) were being hurt by Atari's pricing
with regards to FG stores. FG stores got the 520STFM (the one with the double
sided floppy drive) weeks before COMPUTER WORKS got them. That really made the
COMPUTER WORKS store owner mad!!!

I am certain that Atari tried to find someone to buy FG, but probably couldn't
find any takers.

Now that Atari si out of the retail sale business maybe Atari will have some
money to spend on finishing the 68030 machine, and getting the Laptop ST out.

By the way, Atari is now shipping the SLM804-PCV which is the old SLM-804
laser printer bundled with the Imagen ULTRASCIPT postscipt language. I would
recommend buying a Mega ST4 if you plan on using it though!! But, that is VERY
good news for us Atarians!! And Calamus is setting the DTP amrket on fire, it
is that good!!

Well, anyway, I for one approve of Atari's decision to dump FG stores. and
I jhope that Atari can recover from its $200 Million Dollar mistake!!!!

Richard (SLM804 owner and saving up for UltraScript) Covert