ÓÕÂÊ: ÔÃ128 #25 ON "NEW 8-BIT" (Ò3) ÆÒÏÍ: ÄALEÃ4 09/04/89 Ó#: 80722 ÉF ANYONE HERE IS INTERESTED IN THE RUMORED NEW 8-BIT, É WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THEY SOMEHOW GET ISSUE 25 OF ÔWIN ÃITIES 128 AND READ ÌOREN'S EDITORIAL ON IT. ÉT GIVES A GOOD SUMMARY OF WHAT A NEW 8-BIT MAY LOOK LIKE, AND GIVES ABOUT THE MOST LOGICAL AND COMPELLING CASE THAT É'VE SEEN AGAINST IT. É MUST ADMIT THAT É DON'T ENTIRELY AGREE WITH WHAT HE SAYS IN THE EDITORIAL, BUT HE DOES MAKE SOME GOOD POINTS. É WOULD PROBABLY BUY THE COMPUTER THAT ÌOREN DESCRIBES IN THE EDITORIAL, BECAUSE IT MEETS MY NEEDS (ACTUALLY MY DAUGHTER'S NEEDS) IN A COST-EFFECTIVE WAY. É KNOW A LOT OF OTHER Ã64 OWNERS THAT WOULD ALSO BUY IT. É THINK THAT ÃOMMODORE SHOULD DEFINITELY LOOK AT WAYS OF UPGRADING ITS 8-BIT COMPUTERS AND THEIR PERIPHERALS. ÁT THE SAME TIME, É COULD EASILY SEE HOW INTRODUCING THIS COMPUTER COULD TURN INTO A REAL FIASCO. ÔHE KEY IS NOT THE COMPUTER ITSELF. ÔHAT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE IT WOULD BE QUITE VIABLE, BASED ON THE SPECS ÌOREN PROVIDES. ÔHE THING IS THAT INTRODUCING THIS, OR ANY OTHER COMPUTER IS SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE DONE VERY SKILLFULLY. ÍY NIGHTMARE, WHICH É THINK THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT OPPOSE THIS COMPUTER SHARE, IS THAT ÃOMMODORE WILL BRING IT OUT IN LATE ÎOVEMBER, WITH NO ADVERTISING AND NO EXPLANATION AND DUMP A COUPLE OF 100,000 OF THEM INTO THE ÔOYSÒÕS AND ÔARGET OUTLETS. ÉF THEY DO THAT THEY WILL HAVE SOME PROBLEMS, NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH COULD BE A LOT OF NEW 64ÃÇÓ OWNERS BUYING Ã64 SOFTWARE AND TRYING TO FIT IT INTO A 3.5 INCH DISK. ÎOW É'M NOT SAYING THAT THEY SHOULDN'T BRING IT OUT. É'M JUST SAYING THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE A WELL-THOUGHT-OUT PLAN FOR HANDLING PROBLEMS LIKE THAT BEFORE THEY BRING IT OUT. ÁCTUALLY, THEY MIGHT BE BETTER OFF SELLING THEM THROUGH ÃOMMODORE DEALERS FOR THE FIRST 6 MONTHS OR SO. ÔHE SMART DEALERS WOULD PROBABLY USE THEM TO BRING PEOPLE IN AND THEN SELL THOSE PEOPLE ÁMIGA 500S OR Ã64 SOFTWARE IF THEY COULD. ÌETS FACE IT, A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULI COME IN TO LOOK AT THIS THING, JUST TO FIND OUT WHAT THE FUSS WAS ALL ABOUT, AND A GOOD DEALER CAN USUALLY CONVERT TRAFFIC THROUGH HIS STORE INTO PURCHASES OF SOMETHING. ÏNE OF THE LOCAL ÁMIGA IEALERS SEEMED INTERESTED IN THIS MACHINE, AND É SUSPECT THAT THAT MIGHT BE WHAT HE HAD IN MIND. ÃOMMODORE COULD ALSO DO A COOP ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN THAT LETS THE DEALER BRING IN PEOPLE THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BUY ÎINTENDOS AND SELL THEM EITHER THE Ã64ÃÇÓ, OR PREFERABLY MOVE THEM UP TO AN ÁMIGA 500. ÎOW THAT APPROACH MIGHT SELL A LOT MORE ÁMIGA 500S THAN Ã64ÃÇÓS, BUT É SUSPECT THAT ÃOMMODORE WOULDN'T MIND THAT TOO AWFULLY MUCH. ÔHE MONEY WOULD ALL GO TO THE SAME PLACE ULTIMATELY. -::- ÓÕÂÊ: ÉTS ÎEW MODE (Ò) ÆÒÏÍ: ÂOBBYÁ22 09/05/89 Ó#: 414625 HAS TO USE 80 ÃOLUMNS..THATS A MUST! -::- ÓÕÂÊ: ÖIEWPOINT (Ò) ÆÒÏÍ: ÌÏÖÈÁÕÇ 09/09/89 Ó#: 427967 ÆROM WHAT É KNOW ABOUT THE HARDWARE THAT IS BEING DEVELOPED IT IS IMPRESSIVE FROM A TECHNICAL STANDPOINT. ÈOWEVER, AS É POINTED OUT IN THE EDITORIAL É AM NOT YET CONVINCED THAT THE MACHINE WILL BE SUCCESSFUL FROM A SALES STANDPOINT, OR MORE IMPORTANTLY FROM A SOFTWARE STANDPOINT. ×E SHALL SEE. ÉF THE MACHINE IS RELEASED, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT IT COULD BE SUCCESSFUL, HOWEVER GIVEN THE MARKET FORCES WITHIN THE MICROCOMPUTER INDUSTRY É HAVE TO STATE THAT IT HAS A LOT GOING AGAINST IT. ×E SHALL SEE. --ÌOREN -::- ÓÕÂÊ: ×ELL IF ÃÂÍ ÆÒÏÍ: ÕSER C128 09/09/89 Ó#: 789798 RELEASES THIS ÎEW 8ÂIT....ALOT OF ÈEADS WILL ROLL IF ITS NOT A SUCCESS!!! ÂUT I HAVE TO BELIEVE IT WILL BE A SUCCESS IF ITS RELEASED, BECAUSE ÃÂÍ HAS HIRED ÍANY ÃOMPUTER ÅXPERIENCED ÕÐÐER ÍANAGEMENT ÐEOPLE AND É DONT THINK THEY WOULD RELEASE IT IF THEY HAVE DOUBTS ABOUT IT BEING A WINNER. É ONLY WISH IT WAS 128ÍODE COMPATABLE OF WHICH IT IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE:(