Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!sunybcs!sbcs!rick
From: rick@sbcs.sunysb.edu (Rick Spanbauer)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: AM(iga un)IX
Summary: networking market isn't as big as disk/memory (anywhere)
Message-ID: <2426@sbcs.sunysb.edu>
Date: 21 Mar 89 16:22:06 GMT
References: <1366@hub.ucsb.edu>
Distribution: na
Organization: State University of New York at Stony Brook
Lines: 56

In article <1366@hub.ucsb.edu>, hbo@nobbs.ucsb.edu writes:
> In article <2421@sbcs.sunysb.edu>, root@sbcs.sunysb.edu (root) writes...
>    While I recognize that Ameristar has made significant contributions to
> what success the Amiga 2000 enjoys in the low end workstation market, and 
> while I think they are producing a reasonably priced and functional product,
> it always bothers me to hear a hardware vendor complain about how competition
> is going to screw up their business. There are quite a few third party disk
> and memory vendors still in the Amiga market, at least judging by the ads
	
	Yes, and as I recall one company was set to field a really 
	innovative disk controller that was basically killed by the 
	announcement of the 2090.  By cutting the legs out of disk/memory 
	markets Commodore killed quite a few R&D buggets at third party 
	houses.  Since at least some development cost is written against
	sales of bread&butter products like disk/memory you no doubt
	have a bit less innovation as a direct result of Commodore playing
	in that market.

> won't support two vendors, one assumes Commodore won't jump in. If the A2500
> does take off as a low end workstation on the other hand, I think the market
> for networking products may fatten up. (Can you say "Appletalk?") In that

	I would like to see Commodore provide, as Apple does, basic support
	for some network media on the next machine.  The networking 
	market would then fatten up nicely.  But getting back to ethernet,
	I just do not see how selling an ethernet board along with Unix
	is going to produce significant volume for Commodore.  The rather
	sad fact of life is that Sun/DEC/HP already are selling cheap
	Unix iron to schools/labs/research institutions (with "better" 
	Unix ports) than Commodore will be able to field.  In Europe the 
	situation *may* be different due to tariffs, less market presence by 
	HP/Sun, etc.  The other problem they are going to have with the
	2500UX product is their name, with implications of low cost it
	carries.  Software generally is quite expensive in the Unix market
	owing directly to lack of standards that work to reduce the volume
	of product you ship.  If, because of the name "Commodore", developers
	cannot charge a reasonable dollar for their software then it 
	simply will not get developed.

> case, I'd be glad to see more than one source for the hardware. I kind of 
> doubt Ameristar would pick up its marbles and go home in that event.

	Of course, no one picks up their marbles and goes home.  What is
	does mean to the consumer is that LESS new product development
	does into the Amiga market.  You start to see just "mine is a bit 
	cheaper and a bit faster than the 20X0 widget", ie Commodore drives the
	technology and everyone tries to undercut them.  This is where all the
	disk/memory people are today.  

> Howard Owen, Computer Systems Manager           internet: hbo@nobbs.ucsb.edu

						Rick Spanbauer
						Ameristar

Standard disclaimer: my opinions are my own, and may not reflect the official
policy of Ameristar, SUNY/Stony Brook, etc.