Message-ID: <1987@sun.uucp>
Date: Mon, 11-Feb-85 16:31:19 EST
Article-I.D.: sun.1987
Posted: Mon Feb 11 16:31:19 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 13-Feb-85 03:33:54 EST
References: <526@decwrl.UUCP>
Reply-To: dgh@sun.UUCP (David Hough)
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Lines: 25
Summary: 


	The bottom line for this and similar comments that appear regularly
here is the following:  hackers are not a billion dollar market.  Hackers
are not important to a billion dollar company except when they create
commercial software that helps sell hardware to non-hackers, i.e. ordinary
consumers.  As far as I know, none of the principal players in the personal
business computer market, including Apple and IBM,
have anything to brag about in the way of end-user
support, particularly for technically demanding end-users.
	You can't call GM in Detroit and expect to be put through to the
engineer who designed your Cadillac, much less your Chevy.  If you want
that kind of support you deal with a very small custom car builder and
pay appropriately.  GM will tell you to call the dealer, who will put the
salesman back on the line to tell you what a great little car you bought.
If you want a technical discussion you can probably talk to the service
mechanics for $40 an hour.
	Steve Jobs has mentioned repeatedly that Apple is now in the
toaster appliance business.  Believe it.  I guess Woz finally did.
	It just may be that improving the Apple ][ too much would adversely
affect Macintosh sales.  IBM has these kinds of conflicts all the time.
The resolution is as much political as technical.  Remember the last executive
Sculley hired was a Pepsi guy.

David Hough