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From: a218@mindlink.UUCP (Charlie Gibbs)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: A2286 pricing - grrr!
Message-ID: <135@mindlink.UUCP>
Date: 20 Mar 89 16:22:15 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Lines: 46

<flame on>

     Why is the A2286 bridge board so damned expensive?

     I believe in the Amiga, and promote it at every opportunity.
Nevertheless, there's a lot of MS-DOS hardware and software out there;
I bought my original A1000 three years ago with money I made writing
an MS-DOS application.  At the time, I paid (overpaid?) $600 (Canadian)
for the A1020 5 1/4-inch drive, hoping that the Transformer could hold
me until I got my hands on a Sidecar.

     Needless to say, the Transformer was a disappointment - no
graphics, and excruciatingly slow speed.  And then the Sidecar came
out - at a price that XT clone manufacturers could match for an entire
box, complete with monitor!  Needless to say, I declined.

     When the 2500 came out, I once again fell in love.  The MS-DOS
software business has been good, so I got one.  All I needed now, I
thought, was a bridge board and I could move my MS-DOS development
right into the same box.  I would, of course, need a fast 80286, since
an 8088 just doesn't have enough power for serious work any more.

     And then the A2286 was announced - at a list price of C$2495.  I
was shocked (along with everyone else).  I could buy an AT clone for
the same price, complete with case, power supply, keyboard, monitor,
and hard disk!  Furthermore, it would run as fast as 12MHz, blowing
the doors off the A2286.

     Doesn't anyone at Commodore have any idea what's going on out
there?  I know there's probably a lot of A2286/Janus development costs
to recover - but a potential buyer doesn't see any of that.  All he
sees is a board that costs as much as an entire machine - and the
machine isn't included.

     I don't WANT to buy an MS-DOS machine.  I want to do it all on
my Amiga.  But I need MS-DOS capability for my work.  Commodore has
brought out one disappointment after another: first the Transformer,
then the Sidecar, and now the A2286.  I wish they'd stop stringing us
along like this, only to let us down time and time again.  I've been
kicked in the teeth often enough - looks like it's time to shop for
an AT clone.

<flame off>

Charlie_Gibbs@mindlink.UUCP  "A genealogist looks up the family tree.
                              A gynecologist looks up the family bush."