C475141@umcvmb.missouri.edu (Brian E Whitman) (03/27/90)
A while ago I called the 1-800 number for the Amiga to find out what
type of info they would gove across the phone. I placed this call at
about 2300 or so on a Friday night. Sure enough there was somebody
there. I noticed one thing about the way that the person that was
handling my call. It seemed as though the clerk had a program there
and he asked questions and typed in the answers. In a sence it seemed
as though the clerk knew nothing about the Amiga or for that matter
what personal computing is. Never the less, when he asked me wheather
or not I would like some litature I said yes. Also he gave me the local
dealers one in St. Louis, MO, one here in Columbia, MO, and one in Quincy
IL.
Now I have gone by the 'authorized' dealer here in Columbia every so often
over the past three years or so and I have noticed something interesting.
In fact today is probably the last time that I will be by to visit that
'authorized' dealer. Here is the reason why. When I first started
visiting this store they had some A1000's on the floor. As the 2000 and
the 500 came out I started noticing that the Amiga started loosing show
room space and the space allocated to it was placed in the back of the
store (for those who are into marketing yes it is common to place the
big sale items in the back, this is to get the customer in the door, and
that is usually done in malls, but this store is not in a mall). Along
with hardware they had 15 to 25 different pieces of software and about
several different Amiga magazines. The last time I went by they only had
one 2000HD on dispaly and it was kind of pushed off to the side of the
floorer, semi-hidden by plants. (The store is a split level style.)
Today I went in and found absolutely no Amiga on display at this 'authorized'
dealer, only 3 magazines, and not even enough software to use two hands to
take inventory.
Sorry for the length of this but if someplace is going to be an 'authorized'
Amiga dealer shouldn't they be required to have at least 1 (one) Amiga on
display. The thing that brought this up is the fact that in the letter in the
litature says
But the best way to esperience the Amiga is to see it, hear it,
and touch it.
How can you do that when they don't even have one on display.
On the other hand there is Walden Software, an unauthorized dealer, in
the mall. Sitting right up front is an A500 (the only Amiga they sell)
running a demo. Sitting nearby are a couple other computers. The croud
is around the Amiga. As for software: LOTS of it, books LOTS, Amiga
magazines, about 7 or so if I remember correctly (take into account that
Transactor is ? and a couple others).
To sum it all up in one question. What is required to be an authorized
Amiga dealer?
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C475141@UMCVMB.Bitnet C475141@Missouri.educonsp13@bingsunb.cc.binghamton.edu (Marcus Cannava) (03/29/90)
There's a store here in Binghamton, NY called "Software, Etc." Apparently, they are an "Authorized Dealer" for the Amiga, because they "proudly" display the "Authorized Dealer" sign, but as for actual equipment, they only have an A500 (turned off), and a small selection of software. I personally saw a man try to use the Amiga. He asked a salesman to demo it for him, or to show him how he could use it. "I want to buy a computer for desktop video and graphics, and I've heard that the Amiga is one of the best," the may was saying to the salesman. "I'm almost ready to buy, but I want to get a feel for the machine first." The "authorized dealer" said, "Well, that's fine, but if you really want to get a machine, get an IBM PS/2." No reasons given, simply "get an IBM". At which point I gestured to the man to please get away from this moron, and I, essentially, sold the Amiga verbally, and told him exactly where he should go to buy one. (There is *one* great Amiga dealer, elsewhere...) Conclusion: Here was a man, READY TO BUY THE COMPUTER, and the "Authorized Dealer" was actively pushing him away from it!! I fail to see how this sort of "support" is going to keep the Amiga competitive in the market. In fact, if Commodore continues to "authorize" the same type of dealers, it will give IBM and Apple the last edge they need to push Amiga out of the market. Just some observations.. \marc ===== 'I do not fear computers.. I fear the lack of them' -- I. Asimov RNM