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From: toddpw@tybalt.caltech.edu (Todd P. Whitesel)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: contacts in Norman, OK
Message-ID: <1990Mar6.121631.2034@spectre.ccsf.caltech.edu>
Date: 6 Mar 90 12:16:31 GMT
References: <9003050139.AA19408@apple.com> <39202@apple.Apple.COM>
Sender: news@spectre.ccsf.caltech.edu
Organization: California Institute of Technology
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mattd@Apple.COM (Matt Deatherage) writes:

>It's probably not really wise to admit it, but I do take some of it personally.
>I probably always will, too, since I pour so much of myself into the machine
>and trying to help the people who use it and write software for it.  To see

Thanks for doing it.

>things I was involved with irresponsibly slimed by people frustrated at "Apple"
>sets off an auto-defense mechanism.

Ahhh... But are they sliming you specifically, or are they lashing out at a
representative of Apple who happens to be available?

>Other Apple people who used to read this newsgroup left it because all they got
>for their dozens of hours a week on it was bitching and whining and moaning
>that "Apple", *which includes them*, "wasn't doing anything for them."

That's because Apple -- IN GENERAL -- wasn't!

Matt, you guys don't realize what we put up with... For instance, what would
you do if the computer you bought:

	1. Was developed at a snail's pace for years, falling far behind the
competition in price, performance, and software support while its own company
sent myriad signals that it was to be dropped for its other product line in
spite of all common sense about the relative market opportunities of the two

	2. Is not being recommended by many dealers and friends because they
are uncertain about its future to the point where for all they know it could
be discontinued any day now

	3. Has been constantly reported by certain magazines as being a
product which is obsolete and will be phased out soon, while the ones who
know the truth say nothing and any real evidence is buried in stacks of
non-disclosure agreements

	4. Has not been seriously committed to by its own company for years,
except for promises which sound more like pacifications, because the evidence
to support them has not been substantial enough to bring back developers who
ceased supporting it because in their eyes its own company did not

	5. Is constantly looked down on by others who own more recently made
machines, almost to the point where one is expected to justify its purchase as
opposed to a 'real computer'

	6. Is now finally getting some much needed improvements, but the
convincing support is NOT there, and had better show up soon because people are
giving up and buying the competition's machines; they sure as hell aren't
going to buy anything else from Apple.

... there are many more.

Matt, we appreciate what you guys are doing, but until the people at the top
get their signals straight the following things will continue to happen:

	Apple dealers will not know how to set up a II or demo it
		(Many of them don't know jack about Macs, either, just how to
		demo the thing and write up a sales slip)

	Apple's Education reps will continue to push the Macintosh on people
		who neither need nor want them when their needs are far better
		satisfied by 'one student, one computer' labs full of
		inexpensive //e's and //c's

	Apple will lose customers daily to Amigas and PC's simply because they
		either cannot afford Macs or are not about to buy anthing from
		Apple again; this applies to educators and to many enthusiasts
		who will now be writing for machines that Apple does NOT sell

	The software industry will largely forget the Apple II, and eventually
		the truly dedicated developers will be unable to support a
		machine which barely gets lip service from its own company in
		a world where competition is fierce for high performance at
		low cost

	Apple's position in the low end will suffer even more than it already
		has, because the low cost mac people think will solve the
		problem is looking to be a total dog, and the best low end
		machines Apple has are atrophing and have been for years 

Hold on, I'm aware of all the nice new products that have come out for the II:

	the workstation card
	the //c+ (not pushed substantially by the dealers)
	the Video Overlay Card (priced too high for the casual user)
	the 1 Meg IIGS (some great improvements but not enough to catch up)

... and the 'forthcoming' stuff

	new sound tools (awesome! but unreleased(?) )
	system 6.0 (awesome! but unannounced)
	hypercard GS (also awesome! but unannounced)
	the DMA SCSI card (speechlessly awesome! but unannounced)

Now if Apple calls this support then I don't, but I will when people are
told that there is stuff coming out rather than being given gobs of rumor
disclaimers and threats of non-disclosure suits. Apple has nothing to lose
when every day of uncertainty bears a cost in market share, customers, and
developers.

This is not my judgement alone.
The personal computer market has decided far more resoundingly than I.

It is also fairly obvious what to do about it, but until we see some real
action at Apple we will continue to whine because with all the barriers Apple
has erected there is not much else we can do besides write letters.

If Apple does not realize that non-disclosure is hurting the II more than
anything else then they cannot expect to revive their best low end competitor.
Nor can they expect developer support unless it is made obvious and sincerely
confirmed that the machine has a future.

I know it is technically possible, I wrote the //f paper and I also wrote
"Reality vs. Apple Computer" which lays bare the grievances that we II owners
and many Mac owners have against Apple and its relationship with its customers.

The most important point in the latter paper I neglected to state directly;
that is that no matter how great a job you guys are doing, the world sees NONE
OF IT and that is what we are concerned with. Apple's representatives are far
more to blame than anthing else but former Apple employees set them up that way
and it is Apple's responsibility to insure that its representatives are really
representing Apple Computer and not something else.

A simple press release could provide the turning point.

How long must we continue to wait?

Todd Whitesel
toddpw @ tybalt.caltech.edu