Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!cmcl2!rutgers!ames!ucbcad!ucbvax!hplabs!sdcrdcf!otto!rex
From: rex@otto.COM (Rex Jolliff)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Atari's Marketing Approach
Message-ID: <531@otto.COM>
Date: 8 Dec 87 12:52:09 GMT
References: <8712050444.AA17251@sun.mcs.clarkson.edu>
Reply-To: rex@otto.UUCP (Rex Jolliff)
Organization: Las Vegas Sun
Lines: 57
Summary: So what's wrong with game machines?
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In article <8712050444.AA17251@sun.mcs.clarkson.edu> mrd@SUN.MCS.CLARKSON.EDU ("Michael R. DeCorte") writes:
>
> [much talk about history repeating itself] ...  Then
>they took this computer that in my opinion was desided as
>a small buisness computer (probably word processing) and turn
>it into a game computer.

First of all, I don't think they really had any intentions of making the 800 a
business computer.  Second, what's wrong with the 800 being a game machine.  It
happens to be a very good one.  Games are a very important prerequisite for a
home computer as far as I'm concerned (probably THE most important 8-).

Some people think they need to buy a "sufficiently powerful business computer"
for themselves so they can run "business applications".  The truth, in my
opinion, is that a home computer is something to play games and tinker with in
your spare time, much like you would buy a handglider to go handgliding with or
a telescope to gaze at the stars.  The person that wants to take up flying as a
hobby doesn't go out and buy a 747, not only is it not as fun to fly, it costs
a whole lot more also.  A person that wants to gaze at the stars in his spare
time doesn't buy an obseratory, does he?


> [talk about atari's vapor-ware syndrome]

This can be annoying, can't it? Contrary to popular belief, Atari is not the
only company with this problem.

>
>Atari has taken the point of view that making vapor-ware is ok.

I've never heard them state this.

>Buggy os's are ok.

This is also not true. Of course they could try to fix every bug not worrying
about whether one version of thier OS is compatable with any other, sound
faniliar? 8-) 8-)

>New products that just look new are ok.
huh?
>Game machines are ok.
well they are.

>Michael DeCorte
>mrd@clutx.clarkson.edu
>mrd@clutx.bitnet
>

                                                            Rex.
-- 

Rex Jolliff  (rex@otto.UUCP, {akgua,ihnp4,mirror,sdcrdcf}!otto!rex)
The Sun Newspaper -            |Disclaimer:  The opinions and comments in
Nevada's Largest Daily Morning | this article are my own and in no way
Newspaper                      | reflect the opinions of my employers.
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What happened to our superior space program?