From: andy@cbmvax.commodore.com (Andy Finkel)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject: Re: 21 Rules for Apple Consumer Electronics
Date: 15 Aug 92 03:14:46 GMT
Reply-To: andy@cbmvax.commodore.com (Andy Finkel)
Organization: Flying Cat, Inc.

In article <1992Aug14.203635.12418@lmpsbbs.comm.mot.com> rittle@supra.comm.mot.com (Loren James Rittle) writes:
>
>My comments are indented one tab after each entry.

Loren, I expected more from you.  These kind of lists are interesting,
but they are useful mainly to stimulate thinking.  Let's, for
fun, apply them to some of the recent success stories in the comsumer
electronics field, VCRs, and CD players, and see how they stack up.

>
>21 Rules for Apple Consumer Electronics [that C= should have applied to
>CDTV, but didn't]
>
>1. Once you make a box, don't change the way it works for at least ten
>years.
>
>	Good to base a `new' box on 7 year old hardware... real smart...

You've missed the point here.  The technology doesn't matter.  What you
want to do is keep the user interface constant.  The fact that
you started with VHS and now do SVHS is entirely besides the point.

You want to stick with the controls and standard the user has become
familiar with.

Now, let's look at CD Players.  OK, pretty much the basic controls
have stayed the same.  Now, VCRs.  Hmm, looks like they leave
the basic five functions alone, but boy, do they change the UI
of the rest...especially programming the sucker.

>
>2. Start from the cheap boxes and progress to expensive ones, as the
>Japanese automoblie industry has done.
>
>	No upgrades or higher base systems released yet!  I
>	wouldn't call the first base box a good buy at its price
>	either.

Both VCRs and CD Players went the other way.  (As are DAT players, even
as we speak).  They came out real expensive, then dropped in price.

>
>3. Find an exposure method as powerful as top 40 radio and video
>arcades to show what your box can do.
>
>	C= do this?  You must be joking.  If what you have to sell
>	(CDTV) isn't all that great (see HW comment above), this sort
>	of thing doesn't buy you much.

Neither VCRs nor CD players adopted this strategy.  They went high
end consumer, with lots of debate in the audio mags first.

>
>4. Hire a vice-president of CD-ROM sales.  Fund the position.  Insist
>that the VP sell 500,000 CD-ROM drives in 1992, no matter what it takes.
>
>	If CDTV sells more than 1% of this figure this year, I'd
>	be *real* surprised.

And fire the VP if he doesn't hit.  Sounds like C= to me :-)
BTW, 1% of 500,000 is 5000 units.  So either you're real surprised,
or you meant 10%.

>
>5. Lowering the price of your box is not enough.  You must also increase
>its value for all to see.
>
>	Where is the value enhancement?

For VCRs this was the increased availability of pre-recorded tapes as
time went on.  For CDTV it would be increased number of titles, as
time goes on.

>
>6. Once your CR-ROM drives have been sold, help publishers learn the
>addresses of buyers.  Otherwise publishers can't target their marketing
>efforts and will begin to sleep around.
>
>	CD-I around... :-)

Of course, in the VCR world good distribution of pre-recorded tapes
counted for much more than Columbia Pictures getting anyone's address,

>
>7. Real consumers do not want tools.  They want the product of tools.
>
>	At least C= didn't get SAS to do a special version of
>	SAS/C (R) for CDTV... :-)

Of course, camcorders caught on anyway.  If a tool produces
something a consumer wants, then the consumer will want the tool.

>8. Forego early profits for long-term market share, and don't bitch
>about it.
>
>	C= : ``what is long-term planning''? :-/
>

The early DAT drives sold at a nice profit.

>9. Court mass publishers.  If they can sell a million copies, you have
>sold a million boxes.
>
>	C= didn't get this right with the Amiga, so CDTV - ha!
>	C= : ``what is courting''? :-/
>

This one was a key element of the VCR and CD player strategies.


>10. Stop selling to school administrators.  Sell to students.
>
>	When did C= start selling to school administrators? :-(

So C= did this one right, huh ?  :-)

>
>11. Make your box part of the home-information system.  Make portable
>boxes that can connect with telephones, stereos, and cable.
>
>	Where is the phone connection on CDTV?  Where is the cable
>	connection on CDTV?

Well, by definition VCRs and CD players did this.  CDTV does this
does it about as much.  Adding an Express box, a genlock, or even
a modem is allowed.

>12. Present your CD-ROM players to the public as Ultra CD audio players
>that can do extra things.  That way people will catch on faster.
>
>	C= sorta got this right.

That's how CD players were introduced.

>
>13.  Fifty titles is not enough.  Two thousand is more like it.  Devise
>a plan to obtain 2,000 titles fast.
>
>	C= seems to think that about 50-100 is enough.

Don't be silly.  I doubt you'll find anyone at C= that says
100 titles is enough.

>
>14. Color pictures look better than black and white.
>
>15. Having better-looking pictures isn't enough.  Remember Betamax?
>More titles is the answer.
>
>	I guess C= could win over CD-I here.  CDTV doesn't have the better
>	picture, so maybe more titles can help it...
>
>16. Can you sell this box at Wal-Mart?  If not, rethink it.  Maybe paint
>it pink.
>
>	C= made it black.  Morbid.

Well, the VCRs, Sony CD players, and TVs come in a variety of colors.
Silver.  Brown.  and Black. 

>
>17. Whoever makes a box that easily converts to digital video is the
>winner.  Whoever doesn't is planning obsolescence.
>
>	7 year old HW?
>
>18. CD systems using TV screens will always be cheaper.  Emphasize the
>advantage of monitor display.
>
>19. Don't call it a computer.  Call it, for instance, a Time Machine.
>Not P3-TV.  4D-TV is a better choice.
>
>	C= was right on here, and then a while ago they let up and
>	admitted that it was a computer! :-)

Only time will tell on this one.  We'll have to wait and see
what the first real CDROM success story calls itself.

>
>20. Start product development with a breakthrough marketing campaign.
>Force your engineers to catch up with you.
>
>	C=!?  It seems marketing/management is years behind engineering
>	at C=.

VCRs and CD players seemed to appear before any breakthrough
marketing campaign.  Only companies that sell vapor for seven
years seem to want to force the engineers to catch up.

>
>21. Careful market research results in one sure thing: You will be late
>to market.
>
>	Good thing C= doesn't do market research... :-)
>
>Rumor is that Apple is so gun ho about this list that it can be seen
>posted through out Apple.   Maybe someone will get it right...
>Too bad it isn't C=/Amiga and the CDTV.


As I said, I'm surprised at you, accepting all the 'rules' without
question.   Snide remarks are no substitute for actual thinking.

Two of the most recent success stories didn't follow most of the
rules.  That should tell you something.  If the rules guaranteed
a hit, CD+G would be the biggest thing since CD players themselves.

>Loren J. Rittle


		andy
-- 
andy finkel		{uunet|rutgers|amiga}!cbmvax!andy

"C++ should really have been called D."


Any expressed opinions are mine; but feel free to share.
I disclaim all responsibilities, all shapes, all sizes, all colors.
Xref: sparky comp.sys.amiga.advocacy:21623 comp.sys.amiga.misc:12737