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From: VDPLAATS@HNYKUN53.BITNET
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: (none)
Message-ID: <8809270937.AA10849@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: 27 Sep 88 10:37:00 GMT
Sender: uucp@super.ORG
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 41

From: vdplaats@hnykun53 (Ruud van der Plaats)
To  : info-atari16@score.stanford.edu
Subj: dying computer sales

   Maury Markowitz (maury@laucosc.bitnet) writes:

>  Recently I talked to a local developer who had been to a recent trade show
> in West Germany and reported it to be quite a shock, as he stated that there
> were Ataris "everywhere", a comment that I here from the local Atari dealer
> ship often.

There's no doubt about it that the ST line is very succesful in Europe. Just
take a look at the number of magazines and clubs dedicated to the ST. ST's are
also widespread on technological universities and information science
departments.

>  My question is this: What is the REAL sales flow in West Germany and the rest
> of Europe?

 I don't know the German figures, but the 1987 annual turnover of Atari in the
Benelux (Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxemburg) was 37 million Dutch guilders
(appr. 18 million dollar). This is an increase of 40 %.

Worldwide profit however went down from 29 million dollar to 11 million dollar.
The 29 million dollar profit partly consisted of a tax profit of 11.6 million.

Worldwide turnover in 1987 was 493.1 million dollar. An increase of 91 %.
Of course this includes all the Atari products (XT's, PC's, etc.).

New  marketing organizations were founded in Spain, Scandinavia and Australasia.

In the first 6 months of this year (1988) worldwide turnover was 334 million
dollar (an increase of 250 % compared to 1987).

I think a lot of computer companies would like to die this way.

                                        greetings,
                                        Ruud van der Plaats
                                        vdplaats@hnykun53.BITNET

................. oh, those Doomsday prophets ! .......................