Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!eecae!tank!ra_robert@gsbacd.uchicago.edu
From: ra_robert@gsbacd.uchicago.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Mac pricing and the future of the Mac
Message-ID: <2361@tank.uchicago.edu>
Date: 19 Mar 89 23:17:39 GMT
Sender: news@tank.uchicago.edu
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of Chicago Graduate School of Business
Lines: 37

In article <11317@ut-emx.UUCP>, mentat@walt.cc.utexas.edu (Robert Dorsett) writes...
[......]
>Why do people insist on being apologists for Apple?  The way I see it, (a) if
>enough people gripe loudly enough, perhaps the bean counters will pay at-
>tention the next time it comes down to pricing a new machine; and (b) if Apple
>ever provides a five-year, 50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty on its 
>equipment, perhaps people would settle down.
> 

Perhaps some people support Apple because they get really sick and tired
of all the complaining that goes on on the net.  Apple makes dumb, unfriendly
decisions.  So do a lot of firms, and people too.   They also do some good
things, like making a really nice computer (the Mac), a computer which I
don't think is "haphazardly" designed.

Your point a) is well taken, but only up to a point.  I think it would be more
accurate to say: if enough people who buy Apple computers complain about
problem X to the people at Apple who make decisions about problem X, then
something will happen.  Thus: complaints on the net about price increases, no
matter how justified those complaints may be, are basically a lot of hot air:
how many "bean counters" do you think read the net?  I know that Apple has some
people who officially check out what's going on here, but most of the people
from Apple who read this stuff are computer people who make the machines, but
don't sell them. 

If you really want to accomplish something -- and I question sometimes how
constructive some of the criticism here is -- why don't you write to Sculley,
or Gasee, or the head of marketing, or the new head of educational markets?
Sure, it might be a bit more trouble to get their names/addresses and actually
print out a letter, but it would accomplish far more than diatribes on the net.

                                                                               
Robert
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ra_robert@gsbacd.uchicago.edu
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generic disclaimer: all my opinions are mine