From: ggreenbe@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Gerald Greenberg)
Subject: Re: New Mac Prices tough on Falcon
Organization: Syracuse University
Date: Sat, 3 Oct 92 09:53:47 EDT

In article <1992Oct2.141022.26727@newshost.lanl.gov> hutch@bellman.lanl.gov writes:
>In article 00awAAFql9r@andrew.cmu.edu, osoelgaultier+@CMU.EDU (Stefan Monnier) writes:
>>Excerpts from netnews.comp.sys.atari.st: 1-Oct-92 New Mac Prices tough
>>on Falcon Marcelino Bernardo@ereva (478)
>>
>>> Here is a portion of a recent press release posted in
>>> comp.sys.mac.announce.
>>
>>>                                  Previous SRP   New SRP  %Change 
>>> Macintosh LC II(4MB/40HD)         $1,699         $1,239    27
>>> Macintosh LC II(4MB/80HD)         $1,849         $1,349    27
>>
>>> It seems to me that Atari would have a hard time marketing the Falcon with
>>> similar configuration for ~$1300 as I've read in this newsgroup.
>>
>>Although it is twice as fast, has DSP, and ....
>
>
>The real problem here, folks, is that Apple, _not_ Atari, has the marketing
>savy to get their new mass market Macs (Performa line) into retailers such
>as Sears, Silo, Lechmere, etc.  While Mom & Pop are looking at the new washing
>machines, why not take a peek at these new fangled `pooters' too?  Apple
>execs estimate there are still 7 million homes in the US that could afford
>a computer and don't yet have one.  That's their target.
>
>The Performa 200 is a repackaged Classic II and the Performa 400 is the LC II
>with a different nameplate.  Only the Performa 600 and 600CD (at $2K & $2.5K)
>are new, based on a 32MHz 030 (crippled), the latter with built-in CD-ROM.
>
>Question 1:  Is the Falcon a superior machine for the money?  A: Yes.
>Question 2:  Does it matter to the mass public?  A: No.
>
>Why?  Because they won't know anything about it!  John Q. Public still thinks
>Atari either a) "went out of business long ago" or b) "just makes video games."
>
>Apple will literally sell _millions_ of these things while Atari is still
>struggling to find a few dealers willing to carry their hardware.  Sheeesh.
>
>What?  Me bitter?  Nyaaaah.  :)
>
>---
>
>___________________________ John "HUTCH" Hutchinson _________________________
>_________________ Fair Dinkum Technologies     Member - IAAD  _______________
>________________ "No worries, mate... it's from Fair Dinkum!" _______________
>____________ email: hutch@bellman.lanl.gov   GEnie: FAIR-DINKUM _____________
Very good John, but there's a bit more to put into the
equation:

It doesn't matter which machine is better, what matters is
which machine has better software (and I don't just mean one
or maybe two programs), more software, better peripheral
support, more peripheral support, better 3rd party support,
more 3rd party support.  Furthermore, think about developers
and BIG software companies...are they going to develop for the
better machine, or the machine that more people own and from
which they'll earn more money.  Considering the installed user
base AND new potential user base, the answer for software and
peripheral developers is clear.

No flames please, this is not an attack...just a follow up to
what I thought was a fair appraisal of the situation.
  
  --Gerry

Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st