NetNews Offline 2/NetNews Offline Volume 2.iso/news/comp/sys/amiga/hardware-part1/1223

Text File | 1996-08-05 | 5.2 KB | 106 lines

Path: sunsite.doc.ic.ac.uk!demon!hchworth.demon.co.uk
From: Paul Chan <paul>
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.misc,comp.sys.amiga.hardware,comp.sys.amiga.games
Subject: Re: AT UK redundancies
Date: Mon, 15 Jan 1996 14:34:05 GMT
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
References: <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]> <4ddbo6$[e-mail]>
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[e-mail] (Phil Shimmin) wrote:

>|> >AT must realize that with an over-priced high-end A4000T and an underpowered
>|> >low-end A1200, they couldn't expect to get MAJOR sales, also when you factor
>|> >in the fact that a new series of Amigas would be coming out in a relatively
>|> >short period of time.  I am waiting for March to see what the are going to
>|> >offer us.  I would buy a used A1200 if thats all I wanted.  I do hope to see
>|> >things pick up when the new machines come out.  Market the Netster/Surfer
>|> >pack, especially once the new low-end machine comes out.  This WILL sell!
>|>
>|> This really does take the mickey - all th Amiga magazines have splashed
>|> Anderson`s face all over their news and features pages (sometime, I wish it
>|> were Pamela, and not Jonathan ;), and AT is going to have some serious egg on
>|> their face, not to mention some new doubts over their handling of the Amiga,
>|> when the next magazine editions go out with this news in.
>|>
>|> By attempting to cash in on initial sales by hiking the price they alienated
>|> many folks who would have bought the first A1200s upon impulse. I for one would
>|> hve allowed the first A1200`s to arrive at 299 (it`s old price) - and let the
>|> things sell out completely. Thus creatig a real demand for the next batch, and
>|> soon. Instead, they are left with high priced Amigas which are still left in
>|> the shops unsold, especially with the low-priced 486`s flying around.
>|>
>|> C= made a similar error with CD32. It was priced too high and consequently
>|> didn`t sell enough to create a large enough user-base. C= folded. Will Escom
>|> ditch the Amiga?
>|>
>|>
>|> Quite simply, if the March Amiga does not meet up to our expectations -
>|> especially in price, then it almost may as well be goodnight Vienna...
>|>
>
>Yeah, but by the same token CBM ran into trouble and alienated retailers by
>constantly bringing out better deals, slashing prices etc and leaving the
>retailers out of pocket on existing stock.
>
>Announcing a new package which is miles better and much more reasonably priced
>could do the same thing. I fully agree that AT messed up on the pricing, but
>they'll have to be careful/diplomatic about their next move.
>
>Phil.

C=`s problem was that they dropped prices too soon and too often. AT had to
have a good start by re-introducing the A1200 at a price equal to or less than
the firt A1200. I know they`ve had problems with assembly, but they should have
taken the loss in order to maintain a logical/consumer price.

No Amigan in their right mind would want to buy a machine that has been
off-sale for up to 2 years, has gone *up* in price by 100 quid and is somehow
incompatible with some "A1200" games (yes, I know about DSKRDY, don`t correct
me). The magic pack doesn`t soften the blow any, and the 486 is basically
outgunnng the Amiga in terms of [perceived] price/performance - plus we also
get to hear the horror stories coming from the Escom stores, one of the few
high stret Amiga retailers.

Their next release is going to be completely shagged by the price point of the
A1200 now. They could:

1)    Place it higher up the price band to conform with the A1200 price. This will
make the A1200Plus as overpriced as the A1200. No sales=Dead Amiga.

2)    Reposition the A1200 by slashing the price of the A1200 even more savagely
than C= ever did (i.e. by MORE than 100 quid). And introduce the A1200Plus into
the gap. This will p*ssáoff people who bought the machine the week before.

3)     Discontinue the A1200 and allow price cuts to get rid of stock. Same effect
as above.

4)    Introduce a voucher scheme for A1200`s bought after 31st January (for Phase
5 accelerators, say a free 4Mb upgrade to any accelerator they buy) to
gradually reduce the impact of a discount on the consumer. Use a PowerUp scheme
for pre-voucher A1200`s to ugrade to the new A1200Plus. Reduce the price of the
A1200 by 50 quid on 1st Feb., and 50 quid before Xmas (i.e. 2 small discounts
spaced far apart, rather than 1 big one). Introduce A1200Plus at sensible price
point, but only with hard drives and all the options to space it aprt from the
A100, whose HD option will be dropped.

In effect, the range would become:
Bottom end: A1200, no HD
Lower-mid: A1200Plus, HD

Gradual price drops, nothing major to get people bitter about, and include
vouchers for accelerator add-ons or free fitted hard drives for anyone who buys
a A1200 30 days before the price drop is about to occur.



Which option is best? And which option are AT going to lead us down?
I know which one I`d rather have...