Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!portal!cup.portal.com!FelineGrace
From: FelineGrace@cup.portal.com (Dana B Bourgeois)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.tech
Subject: Re: MEMF_PHYSICAL?
Message-ID: <19186@cup.portal.com>
Date: 7 Jun 89 02:53:17 GMT
References: <8906010335.AA12083@jade.berkeley.edu>
Distribution: usa
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Lines: 39

Valentin, it appears you don't understand the kind of people I am talking
about.  I work in an engineering office where the computing is handled by
clerks on I*M XT machines with dBase III, Lotus123, and two flavors of
word processor.  These clerks were taught the programs by the programmers
(who cut their teeth on Microsoft Basic and then moved on to dBase III)
and they have learned enough about the programs to update them for output
of reports.  These people do not know DOS, and they definitely do not
understand the working of the machines.  Maintanence of ANY sort is 
handled by a corproate contract just like with the Xerox machines.  Now
by model 3500 I would hope that Amigas would also be found in business
settings just like the I*M and M*c machines are now.  And as with these
two machines, many (most?) of the users will not know the machine beyond
the applications and the workbench.  People like this you don't want
making decisions like whether to GURU or to disable memory protection
or any of the other stuff in your proposed solution.  For you and me and
even someone like (ugh!!) Jerry Pournelle, the requestor would allow
a realistic, rational, concious decision.  But the people I see accessing
computers, using computers, and even programming computers would be scared
by such a requestor, confused by such a requestor, and wouldn't be able to
understand the  choices being offered.  And these are the people who will
justify the purchase of millions of Amiga 3500 so they must be factored
into the decision.  Sure they can just learn by trial and error.  But
too many GURUs will earn the Amiga the reputation of unreliability.

Management buys I*M cause it is safe.  They buy M*c cause it is easy
to use or because it prints good.  Speed has little to do with it and
cost virtually nothing.  My boss is asking for two computers right now,
a M*c and a PS-2.  With printers and software and installation and stuff
the total cost is about $15K.  If he doesn't get it it'll be because
his boss doesn't want us to have a computer, not for any other reason.
A bad reputation will PRECLUDE the Amiga from consideration in business.
Apple saw it clearly, the appearance of friendliness, ease of use, and
good graphics(especially in hard-copy) are worth the drawbacks of cost,
hi-cost I mean, relatively slow speed, and difficulty in programming
because the money is made when the end-users buy the machine.

The moral is:  Never under-estimate the illogical stupidity of end-users.

Dana