peter@sugar.hackercorp.com (Peter da Silva) (06/13/91)
I know Aussies on the net flame about Commodore Australia, but for the past ten
days, while I was back home for my brother's wedding, I noticed:
Every department store I went into was selling Amiga 500s.
The price for the machine was A$900, or about US$700. Given the
horrible sales tax on computers, that's a killer price. I saw
286 based PCs for over $2000.
Decent advertisements were displayed with the machines. Grace
Brothers had their home computer section flanked by Commodore
ads.
Grace Brothers also said the 500 was their best selling machine.
I don't know about their support for high end machines, but Commodore US
could learn something from them on selling 500s.
--
Peter da Silva. `-_-' <peter@sugar.neosoft.com>.
'U` "Have you hugged your wolf today?"
(Back from vacation back home in Australia)roddi@bruce.cs.monash.OZ.AU (Roddi Walker) (06/14/91)
In <1991Jun13.111350.8458@sugar.hackercorp.com> peter@sugar.hackercorp.com (Peter da Silva) writes: >I know Aussies on the net flame about Commodore Australia, but for the past ten >days, while I was back home for my brother's wedding, I noticed: > Every department store I went into was selling Amiga 500s. > The price for the machine was A$900, or about US$700. Given the > horrible sales tax on computers, that's a killer price. I saw > 286 based PCs for over $2000. > Decent advertisements were displayed with the machines. Grace > Brothers had their home computer section flanked by Commodore > ads. > Grace Brothers also said the 500 was their best selling machine. >I don't know about their support for high end machines, but Commodore US >could learn something from them on selling 500s. >-- >Peter da Silva. `-_-' <peter@sugar.neosoft.com>. > 'U` "Have you hugged your wolf today?" >(Back from vacation back home in Australia) Yes, they are OK are far as mass-marketing goes. But for any real service, they are *EXTREMELY* unresponsive. Case in point: I want to get a flicker fixer for my Amiga 2000. Obviously, I'd rather get an A2320 rather than some outdated Microway device. Problem - CBM have a large amount of Microway parts in stock. However, they don't want to sell the A2320 before they've sold all their Microway stuff. Needless to say, the Microway fixers aren't selling all that fast. It may be a long wait for the A2320 to sold here in Oz. I'll get one from the States, I think. Their developer service is little short of horrendous. I'm not a dev (and probably never will be with CBM Oz), but a dev here at Monash was waiting 6+ months for his A3000 - the only reason he got it is because he has his own fax machine :-) Chris Hames (the dev in question - author of DirWork, on the Fish Disks [better than SID!]) may wish to post the gory details of the trauma he went through. He did eventually get his A3000, but only after they sent him an A2000 + Bridgeboard (he is developing an IBM emulator). Also, I've installed the new Denise chip in my A2000 (naturally, I didn't get the chip through CBM). Problem is, when I use Productivity on my multisync, the top inch of the screen is distorted. No problem my dealer says (he is a good dealer, so the following isn't his fault) - there is a trivial/cheap CBM part that fixes that (goes between the video port and the monitor cable). Hum, CBM Oz is out of stock. Ah well, seeing that they're a pack of morons, I'll give them 3 months to get is back in stock. That was 6 months ago, and me (and my dealer) have given up. Go figure. Roddi
grue@phoenix.pub.uu.oz.au (Adam Eberbach) (06/15/91)
In <1991Jun13.111350.8458@sugar.hackercorp.com> peter@sugar.hackercorp.com (Peter da Silva) writes: >I know Aussies on the net flame about Commodore Australia, but for the past ten >days, while I was back home for my brother's wedding, I noticed: > Every department store I went into was selling Amiga 500s. A great pity that they don't try to take some business market share. They should be trying to sell machines like 3000's and 2000's with all the extras. The 500 is a fine machine (Which incidentally at $900 Aus is a ripoff. K-Mart are now selling them at $700 Aus. Is it worth mail ordering yet? :-) ) but it's not the one that's going to win the machine wars. Shouldn't be too hard to convince a Mac owner to save some money and get a better machine anyway, but they're not doing it. Most of those sales people in the department stores don't know enough about the machines to be able to sell them. Amiga owners are the best marketing tools C= has, but they have to make an effort of their own. > Decent advertisements were displayed with the machines. Grace > Brothers had their home computer section flanked by Commodore > ads. I just wish they would do some advertising in the press, TV. They did have one ad but it showed little more than a lot of games, with voice-overs of kids saying "Wow!" > Grace Brothers also said the 500 was their best selling machine. Of all? Good to hear, but I think a lot of those sales are being taken away from Nintendo or Sega, rather than Apple/Clone makers. >I don't know about their support for high end machines, but Commodore US >could learn something from them on selling 500s. I don't think they do support High end machines. I have a 2500 and the only place I get support is from the people I bought it from. >-- >Peter da Silva. `-_-' <peter@sugar.neosoft.com>. > 'U` "Have you hugged your wolf today?" >(Back from vacation back home in Australia) BTW, can anyone tell me when we're going to see a PAL Video Toaster that works in the A3000? A friend of mine manages a major Melbourne film+video production house, and they're just screaming out to see a system to beat the Mac's Avid system (which is about $40,000 !) I'm pushing in the right direction of course :-). Adam Eberbach grue@phoenix.uu.pub.oz.au
peter@sugar.hackercorp.com (Peter da Silva) (06/16/91)
In article <4457@bruce.cs.monash.OZ.AU> roddi@bruce.cs.monash.OZ.AU (Roddi Walker) writes: > Yes, they are OK are far as mass-marketing goes. But for any real service, > they are *EXTREMELY* unresponsive. Well, in the U.S. they depend on the dealer network for first-strike service. The only real Amiga store in Houston is run by folks who are so full of themselves that even other computer sales folks are embarassed to be in the same business. And, remember, Australia is run by the unions. Be glad you get any service. Near as I can recall the only place you could ever get support on *anything* was with Dick Smith. Maybe you need to get *them* to stock the Amiga? -- Peter da Silva. `-_-' <peter@sugar.neosoft.com>. 'U` "Have you hugged your wolf today?"
peter@sugar.hackercorp.com (Peter da Silva) (06/17/91)
In article <1991Jun15.031359.29332@phoenix.pub.uu.oz.au> grue@phoenix.pub.uu.oz.au (Adam Eberbach) writes: > A great pity that they don't try to take some business market share. It'd be nice, but that'd be nice anywhere. At least C= Australia are making progress *somewhere*! > The 500 is a fine machine (Which incidentally at $900 Aus > is a ripoff. K-Mart are now selling them at $700 Aus. Is it worth mail > ordering yet? :-) ) No, that $200 price difference is almost all Australia's gross customs duty and sales tax. You'd have to pay it whether you bought locally or imported it yourself. And the bureaucratic hassles invlved would be monstrous. If you want to go that way, get a friend to bring one back in their hand luggage out of their duty-free allowance (may take a couple of people... I forget the figures for Oz: you get $400/person in the US). > but it's not the one that's going to win the machine wars. I'm sorry, but it is. I couldn't even convince my brother, who is an artist, to buy one while I was down there. > > Grace Brothers also said the 500 was their best selling machine. > Of all? Good to hear, but I think a lot of those sales are being taken > away from Nintendo or Sega, rather than Apple/Clone makers. This was the computer department, and the competition was Atari STs and various PC clones. Including the Commodore Colt, incidently. -- Peter da Silva. `-_-' <peter@sugar.neosoft.com>. 'U` "Have you hugged your wolf today?"
billy@phoenix.pub.uu.oz.au (Jeff Coleman) (06/17/91)
In <1991Jun16.042104.17698@sugar.hackercorp.com> peter@sugar.hackercorp.com (Peter da Silva) writes: >In article <4457@bruce.cs.monash.OZ.AU> roddi@bruce.cs.monash.OZ.AU (Roddi Walker) writes: >> Yes, they are OK are far as mass-marketing goes. But for any real service, >> they are *EXTREMELY* unresponsive. >Well, in the U.S. they depend on the dealer network for first-strike service. >The only real Amiga store in Houston is run by folks who are so full of >themselves that even other computer sales folks are embarassed to be in the >same business. >And, remember, Australia is run by the unions. Be glad you get any service. do i detect an excuse for a bit of union bashing ??? I don't see what this has to do with the argument..most places that "support" Amiga are just private computer shops. >Near as I can recall the only place you could ever get support on *anything* >was with Dick Smith. Maybe you need to get *them* to stock the Amiga? Why ??? we already have enough places (KMART etc) that sell the amiga as a games machine... Dick smith do the same with the atari ST. What i think roddi means(if he doesn't i'm sure he'll say so ;-) is that the problem in australia is that commodore's main priority is getting 500's out the door to parents of school age children "because their education depends on it"(the add blurb). And thats basically it. Compared to the interest C= guys have in the US (even reading this stuff) C=(AUS) is staffed by marketing types who only read sales balances....these are the same people who weren't interested in donating a 3000 to a major user group but were willing to spend $1 million at christmas on TV adds. <-----------------------------------------------------------------------------> Jeff Coleman billy@phoenix.pub.uu.oz.au ..!uunet!munnari.oz!eyrie!phoenix!billy <----------------------------------------------------------------------------->
peter@sugar.hackercorp.com (Peter da Silva) (06/17/91)
In article <1991Jun17.184554.24615@wehi.dn.mu.oz> baxter_a@wehi.dn.mu.oz writes: > C= will sell me a machine "in principle", but can't find a retailer > to give it to me, and no, they wont ship. Sounds like a problem with the retailers. > C= have an "education discount" package which NO retailer knows about, > but which several will pretend they do know about, and try to sell you > a machine without sales tax (against the law, the _recipient_ of the machine can > be jailed for 5 years). Sounds like a problem with the retailers. Same stuff goes on here. -- Peter da Silva. `-_-' <peter@sugar.neosoft.com>. 'U` "Have you hugged your wolf today?"
roddi@bruce.cs.monash.OZ.AU (Roddi Walker) (06/18/91)
Did I forget to mention that CBM Oz are not even on Internet or AARnet (the Australian one)? Those w*nkers have been claiming they are gonna do in "in the next six months" ... two year ago. Sheesh. Individuals can manage UUCP / public Unix systems access to the net, but a multi-million $ company can't - well, CBM Oz can't. The level of support in the US (such as Dave, Andy etc on the net) of simply INCONCEIVABLE here is Oz - if I saw a CBM Oz employee post to aus.computers.amiga, I would (a) check it's not April 1 and (b) BURST INTO FLAMES. Roddi
baxter_a@wehi.dn.mu.oz (06/18/91)
In article <1991Jun16.042104.17698@sugar.hackercorp.com>, peter@sugar.hackercorp.com (Peter da Silva) writes: > > And, remember, Australia is run by the unions. Be glad you get any service. > Near as I can recall the only place you could ever get support on *anything* > was with Dick Smith. Maybe you need to get *them* to stock the Amiga? Oh dear, you have been away a long time. The unions were bought out by the CIA, and Dick Smith sold out to Big Business so he could tow plastic icebergs around and fly helicopters. Regards Alan
peter@sugar.hackercorp.com (Peter da Silva) (06/19/91)
In article <1991Jun17.110243.14567@phoenix.pub.uu.oz.au> billy@phoenix.pub.uu.oz.au (Jeff Coleman) writes: > do i detect an excuse for a bit of union bashing ??? Who needs an excuse? > Why ??? we already have enough places (KMART etc) that sell the amiga as > a games machine... Dick smith do the same with the atari ST. Because the Dick Smith sales people are (or at least used to be) competant. > Compared to the > interest C= guys have in the US (even reading this stuff) C=(AUS) is staffed > by marketing types who only read sales balances... Yes, you can't depend on just marketers. But they *must* be doing something right. How do they sell the 500 so cheaply down under? Equivalent 286 boxes have ruinous luxury taxes attached. -- Peter da Silva. `-_-' <peter@sugar.neosoft.com>. 'U` "Have you hugged your wolf today?"
baxter_a@wehi.dn.mu.oz (06/23/91)
> > Yes, you can't depend on just marketers. But they *must* be doing something > right. How do they sell the 500 so cheaply down under? Equivalent 286 boxes > have ruinous luxury taxes attached. I'm not sure what you're talking about. I can't get anyone to buy amigas here because an A500 with monitor (only 1/2 Mb ram) is only $1-200 cheaper than a Mac with 2Mb RAM and a 40Mb HD. The Aust prices do not include a monitor. Do the US prices? Regards Alan
billy@phoenix.pub.uu.oz.au (Jeff Coleman) (06/25/91)
In <1991Jun23.164844.24626@wehi.dn.mu.oz> baxter_a@wehi.dn.mu.oz writes: >> >> Yes, you can't depend on just marketers. But they *must* be doing something >> right. How do they sell the 500 so cheaply down under? Equivalent 286 boxes >> have ruinous luxury taxes attached. >I'm not sure what you're talking about. I can't get anyone to buy amigas >here because an A500 with monitor (only 1/2 Mb ram) is only $1-200 cheaper >than a Mac with 2Mb RAM and a 40Mb HD. we are talking $800 for an a500 , another $500 for a 1084 you can get a 286 with a 40mb HD for about $1500 including monitor.... so where are these ruinous taxes??? all prices are high
chuj@horton.Colorado.EDU (CHU JEFFREY) (06/26/91)
>you can get a 286 with a 40mb HD for about $1500 including monitor.... >so where are these ruinous taxes??? >all prices are high That's strange, I brought my 286-16 with 40MB and SVGA with 1.44 mb and a mini tower for less than $800 also with 1 meg, hmmmm, and I can get the a500 with 1084 and 1 meg and extra floppy for $799 with student discount. Jeff
chucks@pnet51.orb.mn.org (Erik Funkenbusch) (06/28/91)
billy@phoenix.pub.uu.oz.au (Jeff Coleman) writes: >we are talking $800 for an a500 , another $500 for a 1084 >you can get a 286 with a 40mb HD for about $1500 including monitor.... >so where are these ruinous taxes??? >all prices are high Where do you get theses prices? you can walk into any Software Etc. and buy a 500 for $499.00 dollars. you can buy that 1084 for ~$285.00 dollars. you can buy a hard drive and controller for ~$300.00 dollars. .--------------------------------------------------------------------------. | UUCP: {amdahl!tcnet, crash}!orbit!pnet51!chucks | "I know he's come back | | ARPA: crash!orbit!pnet51!chucks@nosc.mil | from the dead, but do | | INET: chucks@pnet51.orb.mn.org | you really think he's | |-------------------------------------------------| moved back in?" | | Amiga programmer at large, employment options | Lou Diamond Philips in | | welcome, inquire within. | "The First Power". | `--------------------------------------------------------------------------'