From: Steven_Hurdle@amusers.UUCP (Steven Hurdle)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.multimedia
Subject: CDTV is ALIVE!!! (was: CDTV is DEAD!!!)
Distribution: world
Date: 27 Jan 93 01:20:08 PST
Organization: AmUsers - The Amiga Users Group of Victoria BC

In a message dated Mon 25 Jan 93  5:35, Campbell@cbmvax.commodore.com (john
wrote:

 C>  1.  Mr. Eggebrecht, VP of Engineering has stated many times
 C>   our commitment to CDTV and CD technology.  Our stated
 C>   goal is to bring CD technology to our entire line.

I presume that this means, in addition to the A570, bringing out an A670,
A1270, and A4070 (or whatever you should choose to name them), correct? 
When you say the entire line, I presume you mean just the A600, A1200, and
A4000.  BTW, shouldn't the A670 work in the A1200 because the footprint of
the two cases appears to be indentical and the PCMCIA (v2.0) smart-card
port is as well, as I understand it.

It's taken forever to get the A570 out.  PLEASE don't dilly-dally like that
on the CD-ROM add-ons for AGA machines.  AGA CD has so much potential that,
IF the hardware gets out there straightaway, it could go over a storm.  I'm
sure you must understand it, but I'll feel better about it if I make the
point.  :)  BTW, what is holding up the A670?

 C>  2.  We are more than a US company, and viewpoints you get from
 C>   strictly the US market can often be misleading.

Too true, but North American support IS an issue though.  Just because CDTV
is going over gang-busters in Europe and Japan, doesn't mean a lot if local
stockists won't bring anything in.  Luckily, there's no problem that way in
my locale where CDTV is the only game in town and supports pretty high.

 C>  3.  We are currently reviewing a revised Groliers Encyclopedia
 C>   which has many improvements, including greater speed
 C>   and the ability to print text.  We believe that it is
 C>   vitally important to improve the quality and the quantity
 C>   of CD software, but this will take time.  While we all wanted
 C>   it out as soon as possible, quality is important.  It is
 C>   expected that this product will be shipping in March.

I was never one of the critics of Groliers, so any improvements will make
me the happiest camper around.  The one thing I would like is this: when I
look up "Star Wars", something more interesting than an article on SDI
ought to appear!!!  ;)

 C> Although it is not a requirement, it would be great if we could be
 C> constructive
 C> (i.e. "XYZ" would be a great CD product, etc....), lest we fall prey
 C> to the
 C> long and many useless postings of comp.sys.amiga.advocacy.

Hmmm.... Commodore seems to have a good one there with the Guiness CDTV
Disc of Records.  I haven't used it, so I don't know if execution is any
good, but the concept is there.

What I most wonder about is this: since Commodore is selling all the discs,
in Canada at least, through their own licensing programme, why didn't they
sell units at cost (with a small mark-up to take marketing and unexpected
costs into account) straightaway.  It seems sensible to me that most of the
money long-term will come from the discs.  Am I misreading what the
situation was?  At the very least, it seems a workable suggestion to keep
two versions of the machine around (in this case, the original ECS CDTV and
possibly a new AGA CDTV down the road?).  The first would be sold at cost,
but probably no money put into marketing it.  The second machine could see
a significant mark-up, until such time as yet another better version comes
around in which case the present low-end ceases to be, and everyone moves
down a peg.  All the while Commodore licences the discs.  This doesn't seem
to have really factored into the strategy up until now, and I think it is
the most workable strategy.

-- Via DLG Pro v0.995

Steven Hurdle <==> The Swindler                [public replies only please]
Writer of "Virtual Rumours", a rumour/news column in some club newsletters.
Coming to you from Victoria B.C., the Bahamas of Canada:  via SupraFAX!!!!!

                     "Give me AGA, or give me DEATH!!!"