U3364521@ucsvc.ucs.unimelb.edu.au (Lou Cavallo) (09/18/90)
G'day, MC> In article <1990Sep18.014227.381@darwin.ntu.edu.au>, MC> caldwell_t@darwin.ntu.edu.au writes: [sorry, lost the attribution here] | V >> STRATIFY THE PRODUCT LINE! Commodore's vision seems to be a little too >> limitied. The Amiga 3000/25 is wonderful, but where is the 3000/50? >> [deleted] MC> Do you claim to know what commodore's vision is. Commodore keep things MC> fairly much under wraps these days until time for launch. At least until MC> close to launch when they can't help telling people. I do believe that the original announcements in comp.sys.amiga by CBM stated that the 3000 would be the first of a series of new machines. {I can't repost the wording, a disk crash wiped out all my old c.s.amiga.* messages. :-(} Perhaps someone who saved the original announcements (or a CBM rep?) could do the net readers a favour by quoting CBM's original statement? MC> I don't expect anyone from C= to respond to this. But couldn't they just MC> say YES or NO and stop all this mindless speculation? Perhaps to at least the above statement of mine they can... MC> It would seem that, if they are just keeping quite, that this issue is MC> doing the amiga's image BAD. People say - AMIGAS used to be the machines MC> for graphics work, but now they don't compair to MACIIs ect. Perhaps this is true but I suspect that two other elements fit in here also. a) our negative talk in the Amiga groups _may_ spread (like doom saying can have a tendency to do). I personally think this does as much damage. b) this problem of falling behind is an example of technologies march. This will happen again even when CBM address the current shortcomings. This I consider a "Leap Frogging" principle. A friend of mine (an Elec Engineer and IBM PC fan) pronounced the Amiga dead at the start of the year. CBM then came out with the Amiga 3000 :-). MC> So how about it commodore? Could you please just give us the quick word? Perhaps it is still too early for CBM (as the "new" corporate entity it has obviously become; compared to its early days track record) to pre-announce what its future products/strategy will be (in the way Apple do)? I'd rather see a strong year of growth for CBM and its 3rd party market. I'd then feel happier about early announcements CBM might make. I'd then reason to myself that a strong company (CBM? :-)) could keep its promises. MC> This article is pure speculation. I have no real idea of any details of MC> the existance or otherwise of anything at all. And accepted in that spirit. My own reply is also speculative. MC> Malcolm Caldwell | CALDWELL_T@DARWIN.NTU.EDU.AU MC> Darwin Australia |FIDO 3:690/648.3 yours truly, Lou Cavallo. {Melbourne, Victoria, AUSTRALIA. U3364521@ucsvc.unimelb.edu.au}
ben@contact.uucp (Ben Eng) (09/23/90)
In <1053@ucsvc.ucs.unimelb.edu.au> U3364521@ucsvc.ucs.unimelb.edu.au (Lou Cavallo) writes: >MC> It would seem that, if they are just keeping quite, that this issue is >MC> doing the amiga's image BAD. People say - AMIGAs used to be the machines >MC> for graphics work, but now they don't compare to MACIIs ect. >a) our negative talk in the Amiga groups _may_ spread (like doom saying can > have a tendency to do). I personally think this does as much damage. >b) this problem of falling behind is an example of technologies march. This > will happen again even when CBM address the current shortcomings. This I > consider a "Leap Frogging" principle. >A friend of mine (an Elec Engineer and IBM PC fan) pronounced the Amiga dead >at the start of the year. CBM then came out with the Amiga 3000 :-). By lowering oneself to the level where one makes direct comparisons with IBM PCs and Macs, Amigas are placed in a position of weakness. There is simply too large of an overwhelming following behind MS-DOS (like a herd of sheep) and Macintosh (a yuppy trend) for a small minority to stand up and be heard if this tiny band of Amiga rebels persists in a battle of words. To respond to their verbal attacks is to reveal the Amigas vulnerabilities. It is a much stronger statement for Commodore and Amiga third parties to consistently and methodically release innovative technology that pushes the Amiga into unique frontiers, rather than trying to conquer occupied territory. Why eat left-overs when there is plenty of pie to go around? The Amiga has always been a unique machine, where all the good things have been quietly hidden inside a beautifully engineered design. The fact that the Amiga doesn't receive worldwide acclaim shouldn't taint one's own opinions. High quality items sold by small companies to a selective market, with very little advertising... it sounds a lot like... Bang and Olufson, Lambourghini, Rolls Royce... Perhaps Amigans should consider themselves in this manner rather than becoming so self-conscious and defensive next time they are compared with an IBM PC or a Mac. You don't see Lambourghini owners getting upset because the newest Corvette claims to have better acceleration and aerodynamics than the Countach, do you? Ben -- Ben Eng | ben@contact.uucp (416)-438-2855 150 Beverley St. Apt #1L | Bix: jetpen Toronto, Ontario M5T 1Y6 | UofT Engineering Science: engb@ecf.toronto.edu _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_| Home: (416)-979-7885, (416)-979-8761
xanthian@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG (Kent Paul Dolan) (09/24/90)
There's one _excellent_ reason not only not to preannounce release dates, but, frankly, not even to preannounce product development efforts: the great chance to gain a reputation for vaporware. Look at NEWTEK, and think back to all the flames they've taken over the years over the Toaster. _Any_ product can run into unexpected delays, sometimes very long ones, and it just isn't worth the risk to CBM's reputation to state a delivery date and not be able to meet it. It isn't worth the risk to announce a product development and find that you can't make it at a competitive price, and therefore never produce it. In addition, at least one company (IBM) has gotten accused of making product announcements for far future products just to discourage purchase of competitors' existing comparable products. There's nothing less fun than being the defendent in an unfair business practices lawsuit. Kent, the man from xanth. <xanthian@Zorch.SF-Bay.ORG> <xanthian@well.sf.ca.us>