Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!brunix!rjd
From: rjd@cs.brown.edu (Rob Demillo)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: OK, so they sell the STe
Message-ID: <30029@brunix.UUCP>
Date: 21 Feb 90 15:32:28 GMT
References: <90021712385251@masnet.uucp>
Sender: news@brunix.UUCP
Reply-To: rjd@cs.brown.edu (Rob Demillo)
Organization: Brown University Department of Computer Science
Lines: 32

In article <90021712385251@masnet.uucp> david.schreiber@canremote.uucp (DAVID SCHREIBER) writes:
>
>  Your explanation of why Atari releases products in Europe before Noth
>America isn't too convincing. Atari does NOT regard N.A. as a
>potentially larger market than Europe, since they do very little to
>supply and service N.A. Something like 90% of sales are in Europe. The
>real difference is that in Europe Atari is established as a machine that 
>can do serious work, it got in before IBM and the Macintosh and is doing 
>well; whereas in N.A. it has a poor profile and marketing is a constant
>upward battle.

This is undoubtedly part of the answer.

The explanation I have heard from people who study the
personal computer market (and this is the one that makes the most
sense to me) is pretty simple: Europeans have less disposable income 
than Americans. Period. If the European user wants to buy a PC, he
cannot afford the cost of an IBM or Mac. (And if you think they are
ridiculously priced *here*...try going to Europe sometime and
pricing a Mac...if you can find one.) So they buy the lesser priced
Atari's and Amigas.

Now, if that is the reason, we may see all of this change as Europe
becomes an even larger financial center in the 90's. (Reunification
of Germany, Europe common market, etc.) There may be more
disposable income to go around...


 - Rob DeMillo			| Internet: rjd@brown.cs.edu     
   Brown University 		| BITnet: DEMILLO%BRNPSG.SPAN@STAR.STANFORD.EDU
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"I say you *are* the Messiah, Lord! And I ought to know, I've followed a few!"