From: oliver@damabus.informatik.rwth-aachen.de (Oliver Meyer)
Subject: Re: Atari marketing was: ding dong.. who's there ? Dr who..
Organization: Rechnerbetrieb Informatik  /  RWTH Aachen
Date: 11 Sep 92 14:25:15 GMT

vombruch@quando.quantum.de (Stefan vom Bruch) writes:

>: P.S. I think honesty is a virtue.

>Okay - so what you're actually saying is, you would prefer to buy a computer
>that is advertised as the fastest, 

[... deleted some stuff ]  

> :-)

I didn't say I would prefer to buy such a computer, but I think you sell thing
to a lot of people that way. Of Course there are such persons (as you and
me perhaps), who know about the features of the Falcon and who can't be treated
that way, but there are persons, who don't know and who hear and _believe_
the lies other companies than atari spreed. What will those people do??
Well what would you do? Of course you would buy the "better" computer just
to see, that it doesn't do what it should do when you really use it (e.g. 
making coffee).

>[...] I don't think that
>Atari would have gained anything by putting liars on the stand. Apart from
>the obvious reason that this is definitely not the way to go, [...]

I AGREE with you: This is not the way to go.
(remember: honesty is a virtue)
But from point of view it's the way to sell something if
you aren't the only one who sells.

In MY eyes (so please don't start a flame war) Microsoft Windows 3.0 is a big
piece of shit. (Microsoft Windows 3.1 is an even smaller one). And how do they
sell it?? With a lot of advertisment with (a few) lies. That's the way it
goes today (even if it's not the way to go). 
Windows is even sold, while there is OS2/2.0 which is obviously the better
solution. But IBM is to honest about it, and so is ATARI.

> [...] it would
>have been the wrong place anyway because a) most people on the show are far
>to competent to be fooled in such a way; b) the Falcons were there for
>everyone to see and everybody could test their software on them so any
>unbelievable claims could have been checked right away; [..]

Okay, Okay, your absolutly right with this !!!!
Maybe it would have been the wrong place to lie obviously, but as you said
_most_ (so not all) were far to competent to be fooled, but not all, and
those were ther persons I adressed. Maybe I exagerate to much, to get my
point clear.

> [...]c) you can't sell 
>a computer by just telling people: it can do this and this and that too
>without having some demo to back you up.

Perhaps you can't sell them right now, but when someone just hears it and
leaves the flair he will keep that lie in mind and the Falcon will have
better chances to get bought. 
So actually you can sell computer that way (it's cruel, but it's true).

>Re: PS: Arguing that Atari should have lied at the show then saying that you
>think honesty is a virtue is not a good way to prove your point... what *is*
>your point!?!

I do really think (and i hope I act like it) that honesty is a virtue.
On the other hand the Falcon is very nice computer and it would be a pitty 
if they don't sell them, just because they are _too_ honest.

Made my point clear ??

Oliver

Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st,comp.sys.atari.st.tech