vidynath@function.mps.ohio-state.edu (Vidhyanath K. Rao) (10/22/90)
[Strange that there has no response to this. Note that followup has been directed to comp.sys.amiga] In article <62.2719a8e6@vger.nsu.edu> manes@vger.nsu.edu writes: [followingup article <90286.132554DXB132@psuvm.psu.edu> by DXB132@psuvm.psu.edu, who was complaining about 1meg chip ram not being supported on the 500] |Like it or not Commodore needs to "seperate" the A500 from the A2xx/A3xx |series machines, espeically now that the A500 is becoming a mass-marketed |machine. | |Dealers have a difficult time selling the higher-end Amigas because |the 500 and the 2000 seem so much alike. Dealers try to sell 2000s |by using the "expandability" sales tactic. Now that A500s can expand, |by using 2000 boards and even have the ability to run the IBM software, |the margin of difference between the two is extremely narrow. It is |now down to the box and the slots. | |Consider that R&D costs a lot, and the world is not demanding another |consumer-level computer from Commodore, what would you do to stimulate |the dealers? And Commodore's pockets? | |The answer is two fold in my opinion. |#1 - Seperate the product line a500 and a2xxx. | Simple to do: Don't allow the 1 meg agnus and don't upgrade | A500s to 2.0. | |Doing this will make the seperation more than obvious. People who |want to buy 500s for the kids can be quite happy with 512k of chip |and Workbench 1.3. They people who want this machine will not care |(need?) dealer support. | |The customer who does not want a machine that looks like a c128. |(Sorry) and wants a machine that can do "professional" type |applications (whether it can be done on the consumer 500 is not |a issue since we are talking marketing not techie) on a tight |bugdet will go the computer dealer and purchase a A2000 (A1500?). | |#2 - Create a Amiga 1500. | (A now PC slot, one/two slot A2000, low profile case, etc.) | |By creating a Amiga 1500, the need for dealers to keep 500s is gone. |A500s could go to the mass markets without upseting the computer |dealers. Even with the current A500P and A500 seperation it is not |enough to keep the dealers satisfied. | |Though it may upset 500 owners, it does make sense. | |It is the bottom line gentlemen. Change that there box a bit and |make it LOOK different. You will sell a ton. | There are three big reasons why an expanded 500 will never equal a 2000: 1. Attached keyboard: It is just not a good idea to buy a computer or a terminal without a detached keyboard in a business. Potential for disability claims and such is just not worth the savings. 2. No cpu slot: No way upgrade the cpu in a supported fashion. 3. No video slot: No way to do serious video stuff. I tried raising the 1500 idea way back in early 1988. There was a big seperation in proce between 500 and 2000. Even then I was told that the cost of development was not worth it. Today C-A is better equipped to price of the 2000 agressively. Again looking back at the past: One claim made for the amiga was that the 1000/500 had an expansion port and all computers could run the same software. This was contrasted with the more costly upgrade path options others had to put up with. Even if the 1000+1000 offer was not worldwide [I don't know if it was], it was better than the norm. I am sorry if C-A is indeed going to leave the 500 owners in the lurch. There is only one good reason for not allowing the 1meg chip ram upgrade for the 500: design limitations in the motherboard. [It is possible that too many of the upgrades were botched and C-A doen't want to repair these under warranty. I would like to know which is the case. After all, my 500 has been out of warranty for two years.] There was one commercial that made a deep impression on me when I first came to the US: It was a car rental company that said "When you are number two, you try harder." At that time I thought that Indian exporters shold live by that credo. Now I wish that C-A would think that way too. Even though I can still justify the 500 as a cheap way of running AmigaTeX [and Maple 4.2 for those who aren't hungering for pretty pictures], I still don't want people to say, with any justification at all, that I should have bought a Mac SE. -- Vidhyanth Rao It is the man, not the method, that solves function.mps.ohio-state.edu the problem. - Henri Poincare (614)-366-9341 [as paraphrased by E. T. Bell]
rooijen@rulcvx.LeidenUniv.nl (A.J. van Rooijen) (10/22/90)
>|#1 - Seperate the product line a500 and a2xxx. >| Simple to do: Don't allow the 1 meg agnus and don't upgrade >| A500s to 2.0. >| >|Doing this will make the seperation more than obvious. People who >|want to buy 500s for the kids can be quite happy with 512k of chip >|and Workbench 1.3. They people who want this machine will not care >|(need?) dealer support. >| >|The customer who does not want a machine that looks like a c128. >|(Sorry) and wants a machine that can do "professional" type >|applications (whether it can be done on the consumer 500 is not >|a issue since we are talking marketing not techie) on a tight >|bugdet will go the computer dealer and purchase a A2000 (A1500?). I think that you have forgotten one thing: a computer is professional by the software it is using. Look at the IBM computer, although there are certain hardware limitations you can run Ventura, Pagemaker, DBaseIV, WordPerfect 5.1. All these programs make the IBM a professional. So I think it is not wise to suppose that a few slots more (for $700 more) makes the A2000 suddenly a professional computer. I am a happy user of an A500 with 2MB memory and a SCSI-harddisk. It is the A500 which has made the success of the Amiga possible. Most people don't have large amounts of money to buy an A2000/A3000. This is also the reason why there are no really professional programs (except for graphics and AmigaTeX). I am getting tired of people stating their A2000 is so professional. If I want to do calculations or do graphics I use a DEC workstation( 40 MIPS, 1024*1024 pixels 16 million colors). If I want to play, write music or make a drawing I use my A500. I just use the right computer for the right job. I hope I have not offended anybody greetings Erwin van Breemen The Orega Programming Group Holland