rjung@sal3.usc.edu (Robert Jung) (03/24/88)
In article <88032219051620D.AFQC@Mars.UCC.UMass.EDU> Consult@UMass.BITNET writes: >...that [Mac] sales really started >to jump. I was selling macs at that time. The Key: advertising! Didn't Uncle Jack say so himself relatively recently? I could'a sworn I read somewhere that the man said (I think it was _Atari Explorer) "In America, people want what their neighbors have. In Europe, people want the best deal" (In regards to ST popularity in Europe and not America). >This is an example, perhaps not the best one, of Atari's mistakes in >advestising. If they correct this kind of thing their sales could only >go up. I doubt Atari doesn't know already the power of ads in computer sales. Who can forget all those Commodore 64 ads when Jack was there? What about the kid who went to college without a C-64 and came back an oiverweight dropout? Sure, it was implausable, but YOU REMEMBERED it. The fact that atari isn't advertising a lot in America right now is probably *not* due to "ignorance", but of circumstance...In this light, the official excuse (is that word too harsh?) that Atari Corp. is just waiting for more ST's to become avaliable may be plausible (advertising without stock is a waste of money, you must admit)... >The other problem atari has is more basic: support. The atari support is >pretty lame right now. As an example, I wrote a letter to Allan Pratt >with some questions, and although I know he's a busy guy, I thought he >might at least respond. I guess, (I'll take that back) that that is asking >too much. Granted. Ok, but how about some books on the ST? Alan Pratt's non-replyance can't really be a barometer of anything (I think). How much technical expertise does the Atari customer service line give? As for books, that is *so* true...But who would write them? (Hey, maybe Atari will just compile all of the net.messages here, and put that into a book! Now *there's* an idea... B-) >The clock is running... For 2 1/2 years, it ain't that bad. --R.J. B-) ______________________________________________________________________________ Bitnet: rjung@castor.usc.edu "Who needs an Amiga?" = == = = == = Power WithOUT the Price = == = ===== == ===== Just because it's 8-bits doesn't make it obsolete. ==== == ====
Friesen@PCO-MULTICS.HBI.HONEYWELL.COM (01/19/89)
Peter da Silva writes: >Atari has done a very good job advertising the ST, with much more >frequent and affective advertising than commodore. What country do you live in? I was getting sick of this guy bashing the Atari (please stop), and am shocked that the only thing good to say about it is on its ads which is the worst thing about it (especially compared to commodore)! I have seen many ads on TV for the Amiga, and they are pretty good, they emphasize graphics and multitasking. They even have a toll free number to call for a demo of the computer. This ad has been shown during prime time, and sporting events. I have seen it probably about 10 times. I have seen about five ads for the Atari (games machines) and they were pretty good, but we I haven't seen any for the ST, NONE! I don't even remember seeing any ads for the ST in any magazine (although I don't think I have seen any amiga ads in the Mags either). Maybe it depends on what part of the country you are from, but more people know about the amiga than the ST, and the numbers of both of those groups are very small. Aric Friesen Addresses: Genie: A.FRIESEN ARPA: Friesen%PCO@BCO-MULTICS.ARPA
Xorg@cup.portal.com (Peter Ted Szymonik) (01/21/89)
For the record, in 1986 Atari took out some major color two page ads in TIME magazine (I wish they would do it again!) Also, since November Atari has been advertsing the ST every week in the New York Times and the results have been very impressive. Where there used to be only one dealer advertising and selling the ST there are now FIVE, and two of them now run their own ST ads on a regular basis. The dealer I bought my Mega 2 from says that the machines are flying out the door and he has been getting very steady shipments that include every item he asks for - and that hasn't happened in years! Peter Szymonik
abc@cs.purdue.EDU (Alan B. Chan) (04/01/89)
Guess what I saw tonight at 11:50pm EST during Nightline? Low and behold I saw an ad from Atari for the Mega 4, monitor, and SLM804 laser printer. All of which cost less than the Apple Laserwriter NTX, or some laser from IBM. Anyway, it went on to boast some features. I was wondering if anyone else has seen this ad. It's great to see Atari finally advertising, but there was one thing that bothered me. Maybe I was alseep or something, but I could have sworn I heard the ad say that the SLM804 was PostScript compatible???? That's pushing it isn't it( assuming I heard correctly)? Is Ultrascript that compatible that you could print postscript files on the Atari Laser? More importantly has anyone seen this ad, too? If so did this seem kind of odd? If you haven't seen it, look out for it and watch for where they talk about the Atari printer vs postscript printers. Alan Chan chanab@en.ecn.purdue.edu abc@arthur.cs.purdue.edu
kbad@atari.UUCP (Ken Badertscher) (04/02/89)
In article <6360@medusa.cs.purdue.edu> abc@arthur.cs.purdue.edu (Alan B. Chan) writes: |[...] It's great to see |Atari finally advertising, but there was one thing that bothered me. |Maybe I was alseep or something, but I could have sworn I heard the ad |say that the SLM804 was PostScript compatible???? The new SLM804-PCV which bundles the SLM804 and UltraScript is indeed PostScript compatible. In fact, we've had a lot of fun around here lately downloading PS files from various places and printing them out on the Atari laser. There are a lot of really interesting PostScript demos out there! The output from UltraScript is really beautiful, too. Nope, you weren't asleep when you saw that ad! -- Ken Badertscher | #include <disclaimer> Atari R&D | No pith, just a path: Software Engine | {portal,ames,imagen}!atari!kbad
dnewton@carroll1.UUCP (Dave Newton) (04/03/89)
In article <6360@medusa.cs.purdue.edu> abc@arthur.cs.purdue.edu (Alan B. Chan) writes: >Maybe I was alseep or something, but I could have sworn I heard the ad >say that the SLM804 was PostScript compatible???? That's pushing it >isn't it( assuming I heard correctly)? Is Ultrascript that compatible It's true, I've seen it and seen actual weird PostScript files put through on it. For $1295(US) you get just the basic laser printer, for an extra $200(US) you get full PostScript compatiability. Now, if that's true, get a Spectre 128 by Small the genius, and you have a faster-than-Mac Mac capable of using SCSI, all Mac software, at less than a third of the price. It's even cheaper than Apple's hefty HEPP II discount we get here at school. Wow. -- "If I cannot create it, I do not understand it" -Richard Feynman David L. Newton (414) 524-7465 dnewton@carroll1.cc.edu =8-) (smiley w/ a mohawk) (414) 524-7343 uunet!marque!carroll1!dnewton
steve@pnet51.cts.com (Steve Yelvington) (04/03/89)
abc@cs.purdue.EDU (Alan B. Chan) writes: > > > >Guess what I saw tonight at 11:50pm EST during Nightline? Low and >behold I saw an ad from Atari for the Mega 4, monitor, and SLM804 >laser printer. All of which cost less than the Apple Laserwriter NTX, >or some laser from IBM. Anyway, it went on to boast some features. >I was wondering if anyone else has seen this ad. It's great to see >Atari finally advertising, but there was one thing that bothered me. >Maybe I was alseep or something, but I could have sworn I heard the ad >say that the SLM804 was PostScript compatible???? That's pushing it >isn't it( assuming I heard correctly)? Is Ultrascript that compatible >that you could print postscript files on the Atari Laser? More >importantly has anyone seen this ad, too? If so did this seem kind of >odd? If you haven't seen it, look out for it and watch for where they >talk about the Atari printer vs postscript printers. > > >Alan Chan >chanab@en.ecn.purdue.edu >abc@arthur.cs.purdue.edu Atari currently is running quarter-page ads in both Minneapolis-St.Paul papers alternating between the publishing package (Mega, SLM804, Timeworks) and the reduced-price 520 and 1040. It's nice to see some promotion even if it does seem at least two years later than it should have appeared. I downloaded an interesting review of the Ultrascript/SLM804 package from Delphi the other night. (I'd post it, but it has a copyright notice and no release.) According to the reviewer, the Ultrascript package is VERY compatible with PostScript, with the added attraction of being a whole bunch faster than a stand-alone PS printer, such as the Apple Laserwriter. The reviewer mentioned that there is one incompatibility with Apple's Laser Prep file, which is downloaded from the Macintosh automatically when you print a file. However, most PostScript applications seem to provide their own prep files these days (Pagemaker's Aldus Prep file was mentioned specifically), and they work just fine. UUCP: {uunet!rosevax,amdahl!bungia,chinet,killer}!orbit!pnet51!steve ARPA: crash!orbit!pnet51!steve@nosc.mil INET: steve@pnet51.cts.com ----------- -or- stag!thelake!steve@pwcs.StPaul.GOV "A member of STdNET -- the ST Developers' Network"
apratt@atari.UUCP (Allan Pratt) (04/04/89)
In article <6360@medusa.cs.purdue.edu> abc@arthur.cs.purdue.edu (Alan B. Chan) writes: > I heard the ad > say that the SLM804 was PostScript compatible? > Is Ultrascript that compatible > that you could print postscript files on the Atari Laser? Yes. I got a vanilla PostScript file from far away (Gene Spafford at GA Tech, maybe) and printed it fine. Mega + Ultrascript + SLM804 = Postscript printer ("...plus a whole lot more.") You can even write a driver which would take input from the serial or parallel port and print it on the laser, put the whole works in one box, and call it a dedicated Postscript laser printer! No monitor required! ============================================ Opinions expressed above do not necessarily -- Allan Pratt, Atari Corp. reflect those of Atari Corp. or anyone else. ...ames!atari!apratt