urjlew@ecsvax.UUCP (02/18/87)
<< > (Paul Higginbottom SALES) > Commodore Technology, West Chester, PA defending the slow deliveries of Enhancer kits writes: >50 per dealer x 1000 dealers is 50,000 kits! That's 200,000 disks (I >think there's 4 in an Enhancer kit), not to mention a mountain of paper. > >So you see orders don't usually go out in one crack. All production of >everything else would have to halt to make that many kits! > >Please be patient. We're cranking them out as fast as possible! Actually Mr. Higginbottom is being a little modest on Commodores' behalf in one way. Only 50,000 kits? I had read that at least 100,000 A1000 machines had been sold by Dec. 86. That would be before V1.2 had been released. So let us assume that a full 100,000 kits are needed. However I only remember 3 disks in my kit: KS, WB, and extras. So that makes for 300,000 disks. (Paul will you please send me the fourth disk!-) Now just out of curiosity I did a little experiment and some calculation. Putting what I needed from the WB into ram:, I timed a diskcopy on my machine by executing the command file ram:date > ram:start ram:diskcopy from df0: to df1: ram:date > ram:stop ram:join ram:start ram:stop as ram:log ram:type ram:log With preloaded disk drives but including my reation time to the prompt from diskcopy, the interval between the date calls was just under 100 s. 31 days in dec. + 31 in jan. + 15 in feb. .=. 75 d. So say 60 working days since the release of V1.2. 60 d x 20 h/d = 1200 h = 72,000 m = 4,320,000 s. 4,320,000 s @ 100 s/disk = 43,200 disks per disk drive. So the whole production run could have been completed by now using about 7 (seven) machines. Assuming each machine had two drives for output, and used an exec file to alternate between the output drives, to allow the operator to unload and reload the idle drive. In a disk duplicating machine, the data to be written to disk would be in central memory. So writing the disk would take less than the 100 seconds it took on my AMIGA. Also the disks would be loaded and un- loaded automatically from a magazine, so only one operator would be needed. As regards the printed pamphlet of documentation that comes with the Enhancer. A tirage of 100,000 of those is not very big for a medium sized print shop. As to volume ... Each Enhancer kit is 23 x 20 x 1.2 cm. in size. So the total volume of 100,000 kits will be about 55.2 cubic meters < 5 x 6 x 2 meters. So what's happening to Commodores' Amiga division production capacity?. Or am I somehow misjudging the size of Commodore? Could the people from various areas around the country comment on whether stores in their area are receiving Amiga products from Commodore in a timely fashion? I understand that dealers have to pre-pay orders rather than pay for them on receipt. Is this so? Rostyk Lewyckyj, urjlew@ecsvax or urjlew@tucc.bitnet disclaimer: You alone are responsible for believing any claims or statements presented above. I disavow their applicability for any purpose either stated, implied or assumed. These statements are mine, made without the knowledge or permission of temporal higher authority.
warren@ssc-vax.UUCP (02/20/87)
I just picked up my enhancer software yesterday (after waiting for a couple months). I had actually been given a copy of the software so I could use Deluxe Music Construction (which requires 1.2--the dealer was out of enhancer kits at the time), so all I really wanted was documentation. When I bought my Amiga in November '85, I looked at the nice 3-ring binder and thought "great... they've used a nice binder so updates can be made nicely". Not only that, but I was also lead to think that software houses might take advantage this idea so that all the manuals could be kept in similar binders (or added to the binder like Textcraft). UNFORTUNATELY, this is not the case. The little manual that came with the enhancer software is little more than a joke. Why not provide replacement and additional pages to bring the binder up to code, rather that expect us all to reference the enhancer update pamphlet (which doesn't even fit in the binder)? It would be nice if some kind of documentation standard could be agreed upon (take a look at the IBM PC documentation set... manuals are easily updated, and most software documentation comes in the same ring binders). Any chance of buying a NEW documentation set after all the updates have been made (i.e. one without errors, additions, etc)? How about it Commodore.... I'll buy one! Anyway, so this won't be considered a total *flame*, I'll have to admit I do appreciate the new goodies in 1.2... especially the increased disk speed. Now all I need is about 2 meg more (above the meg I have now... thanks Alegra!), a C compiler, and MORE TIME! Warren Kring Boeing Aerospace Co. Seattle, WA Disclaimer: These are of course my own thoughts. Any attempt to make sense out of them should be considered a violation of their original intent.
higgin@cbmvax.UUCP (02/20/87)
In article <2691@ecsvax.UUCP> urjlew@ecsvax.UUCP (Rostyk Lewyckyj) writes: $> (Paul Higginbottom SALES) $> Commodore Technology, West Chester, PA $ $ defending the slow deliveries of Enhancer kits writes: $ $>50 per dealer x 1000 dealers is 50,000 kits! That's 200,000 disks (I $>think there's 4 in an Enhancer kit), not to mention a mountain of paper. $> $>So you see orders don't usually go out in one crack. All production of $>everything else would have to halt to make that many kits! $>Please be patient. We're cranking them out as fast as possible! $ $ Actually Mr. Higginbottom is being a little modest on Commodores' $ behalf in one way. Only 50,000 kits? I had read that at least 100,000 $ A1000 machines had been sold by Dec. 86. I was basing my calculation upon what dealers would order (considering the fact that they won't go right ahead and automatically buy as many enhancer kits as the number of Amigas they have sold). $ That would be before V1.2 had $ been released. So let us assume that a full 100,000 kits are needed. $ However I only remember 3 disks in my kit: KS, WB, and extras. So that $ makes for 300,000 disks. (Paul will you please send me the fourth disk!-) Ok, ok, I wasn't sure. No, there isn't a 4th disk I now realize. $ Now just out of curiosity I did a little experiment and some calculation. <calculates that it would take 60 days, using 7 machines, and... working 20 hours in each of those days (WILDLY OPTIMISTIC ASSUMPTIONS) to produce 300,000 disks> $ As regards the printed pamphlet of documentation that comes with the $ Enhancer. A tirage of 100,000 of those is not very big for a medium $ sized print shop. $ As to volume ... $ Each Enhancer kit is 23 x 20 x 1.2 cm. in size. So the total volume $ of 100,000 kits will be about 55.2 cubic meters < 5 x 6 x 2 meters. $ $ So what's happening to Commodores' Amiga division production capacity?. $ Or am I somehow misjudging the size of Commodore? Two things you overlooked. 1) You omitted the time to make the kits. That is, take a box, the stickers, the registration cards, the disks and sleeves, and then shrink wrap the thing. 2) Enhancer kits are not the ONLY thing Commodore's software production facility has to make!!! They're doing C64 and C128 stuff, the regular software that goes with cpus and peripherals, the s/w products (C Compilers, TextCraft, etc.), and let's not forget the developer's kits, updates, etc. $ Could the people from various areas around the country comment on $ whether stores in their area are receiving Amiga products from $ Commodore in a timely fashion? I understand that dealers have to $ pre-pay orders rather than pay for them on receipt. Is this so? You've been reading too much of our competitor's newsgroups. $ Rostyk Lewyckyj, urjlew@ecsvax or urjlew@tucc.bitnet $ disclaimer: You alone are responsible for believing any claims or $ statements presented above. I disavow their applicability for any $ purpose either stated, implied or assumed. These statements are mine, $ made without the knowledge or permission of temporal higher authority. Paul Higginbottom. Disclaimer: I work for Commodore, and personal opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the company.
jimh@hpsadla.UUCP (02/20/87)
Re: Enhancer availability -
I put a deposit down for mine December 27th at the largest and most
active Amiga dealership in town. In the eight weeks since then, the dozen
they've gotten (yes really) went to earlier orders.
I'm still waiting. So are they. By the way, their ST stuff comes in
rather more quickly...
Jim "Why does everyone else have theirs already?" Hornjrusso@topaz.UUCP (02/21/87)
Follo:
:
Distribution:
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
Keywords:
W
Well, I personally work in a computer store that sells Amiga software. And
while we have obtained 1.2 kits from a distributor, not C-A directly, we've
never seen a delay of more than a week between when we asked for the 1.2s and
when we have recieved them.. and we have sold approx 25-35 of them, which was
4 shipments.
Carroll@aim.rutgers.edu, crossposted by !rutgers!topaz!jrusso