Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uwm.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!polyslo!mshapiro
From: mshapiro@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (Blind Man With A Vision)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Bitching about S/W distribution /  MIDI HELP??!?
Message-ID: <1989Sep28.172110.7096@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU>
Date: 28 Sep 89 17:21:10 GMT
Reply-To: mshapiro@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (Blind Man With A Vision)
Organization: Cal Poly State University -- Has Been Division
Lines: 86


Tales of an excursion down the path of darkness.....


For the last few weeks, I've been trying to find a MIDI package for
a 520ST.  Shouldn't be too hard, right?  Well, after a couple of 
hours in fron of the phone book, I broke down and called atari and 
asked them who sold atari software near where I live.  THey told me of
only two stores.  One was about 45 minutes away and the other about 
20 minutes away.  Not too bad if I live in your average town.  
HOWEVER, I LIVE ABOUT 15 MINUTES FROM ATARI'S HQ!!!  Why are there only
two stores in Santa Clara county that carry atari software?  But wait,
it gets much worse than this.  

I went to this store B&C Computer in santa clara, to check out MIDI
stuff.  THey had several packages to choose from.  So I asked the lady
there if I could take a look at them.  


"No, we can't open the packages.  We'd have to sell the software as
used."

Now, I'm thinking to myself, oh great, we've got a genius here.
"How do you expect to sell this stuff if I can't look at it?  Do you
know anything about these?"

"No."


"We're not salesmen  We have the stuff if someone wants it."

 "Oh.  You probably don't sell a lot of software."



-=-=-

As I'm walking out the door, a man behind the counter starts to tell me
how the software business works.  He says, "In this market, you have to
buy a package and try it out.  If it works for you, that's great.  If
it doesn't,  buy another."

Now, I'm really getting perterbed.  "Look, I don't plan on buying every
package in existence, or even more than one.  I just want a look at
the stuff before I buy it."

This is a good one here...."Well, maybe you aren't ready to spend the
money to buy something then."

"Well, maybe you aren't ready to own your own store."

-=-=-=-=-

Atari, if you're listening, maybe you should have a little talk with
your software/hardware distributors.  All two of them.  They could
use some pointers in the customer relations/sales development
areas.

Between the difficulties of finding a store in the first place and
then the escapade I went through once I did, I have to wonder why people
would want to buy an ST when they can buy a MAC and get software on
every street corner.  

HEY ATARI!!!!  Get your distribution outlets in line.  At least make
them pass some sort of test.  Ask them to tie their shoes and say
their names at the same time.
-=-=-=-=

If any of you could recommend a decent MIDI package, I would really
appreciate it.  Obviously, the store wasn't a lot of help.  I saw
a few packages there, ranging from $54 to $200.  I don't mind spending 
the money, if it's good stuff.  Full editing capabilities, as well as
scoring.   Please, oh please, help me out.  
 





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|     All I wanna know is....                                       |
|     Will the sun go out when God shuts his refridgerator door?    |
|                                                                   |
|     Mitch Shapiro    ....{csustan,csun,sdsu}!polyslo!mshapiro     |
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