Via:      UK.AC.TRENT; 28 JUL 92  9:02:12 BST
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.i-amiga
Date:         Tue, 28 Jul 1992 09:03:00 GMT
From:         Karl Wyer <MEC3WYERKS@TRENT.AC.UK>
Subject:      RE: Commodore's Reply

Subj:	Commodore's Reply
TITLE: Commodore asks for help...

Maybe the upshot of the Robinson article will be some radical rethinking
and publicity from Commodore, heaven knows it's long overdue.


Don't bother reading the rest of this if your not interested in this
debate.  I've just put down some arguments to Commodore's recent
reply.  Don't get me wrong, I love my Amiga (makes a mess on the
keyboard, though  *:-)



> Here are the primary message points that Commodore hopes to get across
> to Mr. Robinson.  Perhaps you can include some of them in your letters
> to the editor:

>  *   Commodore is a one billion dollar company.

With all that money you'd think they would do some advertising.
Just because they have 1 billion dollars in assets doesn't mean
they are spending it all on the Amiga

> *   There are more that three million Amigas installed worldwide.

That's quite alot, but it has been around for 7+ years

> *   Phillip Robinson's recent article, which talks about a "slow
>     death" for the Amiga, was written with no input from Commodore.

No, but it does echo general thoughts that have been mentioned on
this list.

> *   Commodore is not "killing" the Amiga.  In fact, the company,
>     and its developer network, currently are working on several
>     enhancements to the Amiga product line.  Significant product
>     announcements are planned this Fall at the World of Commodore
>     show in Pasadena.

Hmm, I don't call the A600 a significant product enhancement.  This
is a step backwards to the 'game machine' image.

> *   Approximately 1000 dealers distribute the Amiga in the United
>     States.

No comment.  *:-)

> *   Commodore recently signed a sole national distribution agreement
>     with Merisel, Inc., the world's largest publicly held
>     distributor of microcomputer hardware and software products.

So how come we only just find out about this?  No information is as
bad as misinformation, it generates false rumours.

> *   Commodore recently signed a strategic product reseller agreement
>     with Digital Equipment Corporation.

So, we'll be using Amiga's instead of Vax'es (NOT!)

> *   Commodore, its shareholders, its dealers, its developers, and
>     its end-user base continue to have a long-term commitment to
>     the Amiga and its future as a multimedia, business and consumer
>     microcomputer.

There is a long term commitment, but it does sometimes seem that
it's not from Commodore.  I've recently heard that
the CD-ROM drive for the A500 won't be released.  This came from
two different, and need I say it, independent sources.

> *   Commodore (and the Amiga) is a pioneer in the emerging
>     multimedia market.  The company and its independant developers
>     actually are helping define multimedia.  Many companies say
>     they are "in" multimedia without really knowing what that means.
>     Commodore has a strong end-user base executing a wide variety
>     of multimedia applications today.

That's ok if you want a multimedia computer, but the Amiga is so much
more than that.  (Ok, it does say that later.)

> *   Commodore has added new senior management to the consumer side
>     of the business.  The company plans to extend current strengths
>     of the Amiga into consumer channels with a variety of product
>     announcements and new consumer applications during the next
>     12 months.

New senior management!  Hurrah, now maybe they'll do something FOR the
Amiga.

> *   NewTek is a valued developer.  The Video Toaster is a great
>     Amiga peripheral.  But the Amiga is much, much more than just
>     a power supply for NewTek's Video Toaster.  In fact, to say
>     that the Amiga is "just a power supply for the toaster" is a
>     totally wrong and misguided depiction of the Amiga.  And,
>     NewTek's Video Toaster is dependent on the Amiga's custom
>     chip technology.

Yes, but until NewTek say this in their advertising blurb, nobody will
be any the wiser.
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