From: blackbelt@cup.portal.com (Ben - Williams)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.graphics
Subject: Re: Trying to find the perfect morpher.
Date: Thu,  5 Nov 92 23:55:17 PDT
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Distribution: world
  <1992Oct29.135524.2247@zds-oem.zds.com>
  <1992Oct30.130415.1@ulkyvx.louisville.edu> <68888@cup.portal.com>
  <68937@cup.portal.com>

Randy,

Thank you for your concerns and your suggestions. We have great plans for
the sequencer, and in fact we're working on it quite hard for v10. v9.xx
will remain similar in approach.

As for the level of response we have provided for morphing features, there
are several reasons for this. First, our customers are far more interested
in morphing than any other specific feature - they like it all, but that is
the favorite single item. For that reason, we need to focus on it. Next, we
have lots and lots of things that have been going on for a while, which you
are just now seeing coming out - as with any software company, a lot of
development is longer term, so there is a considerable amount of inertia
involved.

As for dirty, look at what has been coming from ASDG. Ads that make totally
bogus claims - so bogus, they're astonishing. They make claims for speed,
quality, and ease of use that are nothing short of lies. They have created
the "morph comparison sheet" Kermit Woodall posted here, which is (although
I would not have believed it was likely) even more deceitful than the ads
that ASDG put in the magazines.

Now - put yourself in Kermit's, or my, shoes. Here we sit, with products that
are highly competitive in various ways, some ways more than competitive, and
we see this horse-excrement coming from ASDG. Should we respond? If so, how?
If not, why? We (and Kermit et al) are already responding in the sense of
improving our products, focusing things and tuning features we think are
important.

Look at the level of interaction between Kermit and myself. We're direct
competitors as far as morphing goes. We talk, we message each other, we
prod each other - no hostility, and the user benefits. So it's not that
competition has to be nasty, or that he - or I - are inherently defensive
or overly sensitive. We actually have fun, and the consumer benefits.

Now, consider Perry. he posts totally unfair "comparisons" like the morph
anim he appropriated from some GVP beta testers work and redid; like the ads;
like the ludicrous comparison sheet he's been sending to dealers and etc.
He lies to the consumers - plain and simple - and he has absolutely no
apparent willingness to be a member of a community; instead, he attacks
everything in sight.

Do you think this constant harping on CineMorph's *name*, for crying out
loud, is worth a minute of your time? The only reason it matters at all
is that it could inconvenience GVP (and that's about all) so it's important
to ASDG. They have a *vaporware* PC product they plan to name that and so
here is GVP with a REAL product which is getting hassled - think it is
reasonable? Legal, sure - maybe - if ASDG was fast on their feet with the
requiresite paperwork - but they haven't got the grace to accept that they
are late and vapor and rename which is what would be appropriate,
especially since GVP got the product out there already and has name
recognition.

I can tell you one thing - Since I know for a *fact* that ASDG's product
isn't as good a morphing tool as ours; it bothers me a great deal to see
BS like this disseminated.

I have two reactions. First, we'll continue to upgrade Imagemaster to keep
it the better of the two. Second, we will respond carefully and in detail
to any posting, publication or ad from anyone which unfairly characterizes
Imagemaster. Silence in the face of this type of attack does NOT seem to be
the correct response; ASDG spends a lot of time and money trying very hard
to dupe the conmsumers out there to their benefit and the consumer's
disadvantage - as well as to the disadvantage of companies that are
competing in the market on an otherwise fair basis.

If GVP, or Black Belt, truly offers you a better product, and ASDG lies
about that in widespread public missives - ASDG is going to have it
boomerang in their face, as is the case with this particular issue.


I'd like to tell you another thing - a great deal of people's time and
investment are at stake for all three companies. Fair competition is
imperitive, or people can get really hurt and NOT from the fair
market process. The consumer also stands to lose in this one if no
one responds to ASDG here.

Ben