Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!att!cbnewsc!carus
From: carus@cbnewsc.ATT.COM (bryce.w.carus)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.cbm
Subject: Re: A better C128 term (was Re: DesTerm gripes)
Summary: ...c64's lifespan
Message-ID: <867@cbnewsc.ATT.COM>
Date: 18 May 89 12:02:24 GMT
References: <2372.24724227@isishq.FIDONET.ORG>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 51

In article <2372.24724227@isishq.FIDONET.ORG>, izot@f171.n221.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Geoffrey Welsh) writes:
> 
> stuff deleted
>
>    I know this is the wrong conference to be saying this in, but C64 users in 
> general are miffed at the way some people are backing off development & 
> support of C64 products... when you think of it, the C64 has had one of the 
> longest and most productive lives of any microcomputer, and I think that C64 
> users are spoiled by it. Look at the present support for early TRS-80 
> products, the Mattel Aquarius, the Coleco Adam, the CompuColour II, the 
> TI-99/4A... to this day C64 owners have it better off than owners of those 
> machines ever did.
>  
>    Geoff
> --  
>  Geoffrey Welsh - via FidoNet node 1:221/162
>      UUCP: ...!watmath!isishq!171!izot
>  Internet: izot@f171.n221.z1.FIDONET.ORG

I'm not going to get into the BBS war - I'm more interested in the notion
expressed by Geoff from above:

> ...but C64 users in general are miffed at the way some people are backing
> off development & support of C64 products...

I'm not exactly miffed, I'm puzzled.

As I read it, Commodore managed to sell another million c64/128's in '88
without the benefit of any visible support. The Amiga just reached the lifetime
level of one million units so now developers can take the machine "seriously".

So, here's my question...

If Commodore kills the line, what will fill the truely low-cost home
computer/entry level educational computer market?

Amigas? PC clones? Atari's? Apples?- I don't think so. These machines will all
sell but they don't satisfy the need for a simple, easy to use, $300 system.

Why would schools spend big bucks to fill a room with Apples when they could
fill four or five rooms with c64's?

I wrote the code for Explode and Video Byte and they are selling well. To hear
the experts talk, there was no market for these things. I know people are still
trying to find Koala pads which are like gold. Who is going to sell stuff to
the brand new owners of a million units from last year?

If Commodore drops the c64, I think Atari or Japan Inc. will fill the void with
a similarly priced clone and clean up.

OK, Netlanders - what do *YOU* think?