Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!cmcl2!brl-adm!umd5!ames!ucbcad!ucbvax!sdcsvax!nosc!cod!rupp
From: rupp@cod.NOSC.MIL (William L. Rupp)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Number of ST's out there and GDOS fonts
Message-ID: <921@cod.NOSC.MIL>
Date: 10 Dec 87 20:13:59 GMT
References: <394@sdcc15.UUCP> <35030@sun.uucp> <7755@prls.UUCP> <6145@jade.BERKELEY.EDU>
Reply-To: rupp@cod.nosc.mil.UUCP (William L. Rupp)
Organization: Computer Sciences Corp., San Diego
Lines: 59


   In article <6145@jade.BERKELEY.EDU> c60a-2ae@web6b.berkeley.edu.BERKELEY.EDU (John Kawakami -O^O-) writes:
   >I'm also a fan of the home market, but the business market is where the 
   >business is.(pun intended)  Let's face it. .......
   
   >..... Besides, not too
   >many average people have a need for a computer _system_ whic is usually
   >quite >expensive.
   >
  >| JoHn KaWaKaMi alias spectacle -O^O- alias c60a-2ae@widow.berkley.edu      |
   
Well, John, Yes, and No.  Yes, the business world accounts for the bulk of
sales.  I guess they are either too busy or too stupid to wait til the
prices drop (-:).

On the other hand, by whose definition do you conclude that "not too many
average people have a need for a computer.."?   It all depends on what you
mean by "need".  If my wife sees a nifty belt or outfit, she thinks she
needs it (no sexism here; I do the same thing with respect to lp's, books,
computer stuff).  We all use various criteria in defining what we "need."
If we are unaware of what a thing, device, etc., *can* do, we are less
likely to see a need to have said thing or device.

My point is that when a device is new, only a small portion of
the uses that device can be put to are realized by most
people.  Eventually, I feel that computers will be in most homes,
much as television sets and telephones are in most homes.  The
computer (often interacting with other devices, to be sure) really offers
a much wider variety of possibilities than even telephones and T.V.s.  

In that regard, Atari's marketing policy (which I criticized in an earlier
posting) is intriguing.  I went shopping the other day and saw the Atari
XE (or is it 'XT') game system.  Guess what?  The darned thing is really
an 8-bit microcomputer complete with keyboard.  Sure, the game aspects are
emphasized, but the fact that peripherals can be connected, such as disk
drives, is illustrated on the side of the box.  I would like to have seen
a statement, even in small print, such as "And your Mom and Dad can do
word processing or other productivity tasks, as well!"  I understand that
this system runs all Atari 8-bit software.

Anyway, I foresee (crystal ball geared up) a time when most homes will have
a computer system featuring electronic mail, access to many databases,
educational services, etc., etc.  And the way these micros will get their
foot in the door (oh, God, isn't that an awful metaphor!) may be via 
games.  It will probably be via a specific application, and thereafter
people will keep discovering other things the system can do.  They will
move from, for example, game players to general computer users by stages
and without having to overcome the 'computer phobia' hurdle associated
with BUYING A COMPUTER.

So much for today's crystal-balling.

Bill
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I speak for myself, and not on behalf of any other person or organization
.........................How's that, Gary?
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