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- Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
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- From: bslog@pro-scat.cts.com (Bill Logsdon)
- Subject: Comments Anyone?
- Organization: ProLine [pro-scat] St. Petersburg, Florida.
- Date: Sun, 20 Dec 92 16:38:20 EST
- Message-ID: <lk61944@pro-scat.cts.com>
- Lines: 248
-
-
-
- Brd > Computer News * Apple // * Numb> 137 of 150
- To > Apple II users From> John Sculley (#113)
- Subj> Policies Date> 12/17/92 09:11:25 PM
- Sorc> Sculley's Hatred:Gardena Ca Rcd > Sun. Dec 20 1992 @ 04:46
-
- I have been following this thread and the need to speak out against
- ignorance and conjecture.
-
- I have been criticized over and over for the failure of Apple IIs to sell
- in the marketplace. In fact, I have been one of the strongest supporters
- of Apple IIs in the upper corporate management. My hands have been tied
- on no less than 5 occasions by the Macintosh zealots at every turn. I was
- the one to propose the GS+ project and was able to get as far as
- pre-production plans approved until my CFO cut the program without my
- approval. His contention was the Apple II was a withering product in
- todays market. The upgrade to the GS+ would have drained large amounts of
- production time away from the planned Macintosh upgrades that were
- already inline for production.
-
- Many critics have the idea the a CEO is like a dictator. This is totally
- untrue: I am the "leader" of the company only by the approval of the
- stockholders. They are my ultimate owners of Apple and I am only
- responsible to them. I cannot force my ideas onto the corporation without
- stockholder approval. If the Apple II is not a stockholder priority then
- it will not be an Apple priority. The Apple II problem is partly because
- the owners of Apple, the stockholders, do not see a future for it.
-
- Apple will support the Apple II into the future. Apple will be releasing
- System 6.01 with the EtherNet peripheral card and software. This update
- will also include the MS-DOS file system translator. Apple will also
- continue the Apple IIe on our price sheets for institutional users.
-
- I hope that I have clarified some points which have been bantered about
- on this net which were untrue. If you wish to register a comment about
- Apple's future vision for the Apple II, contact me at the following
- address or phone number:
-
- Apple Computer, Inc.
- 20525 Mariani Avenue
- Cupertino, California 95014
- Attn: John Sculley, CEO
-
- (408) 996-1010 and press 0 for the operator.
-
- For customer relations call 1-800-776-2333 for questions and comments.
-
- For service information and dealer location call 1-800-538-9696
-
- JS
-
-
- Brd > Computer News * Apple // * Numb> 138 of 150
- To > The Contact (#381) From> Rich (#16)
- Subj> Re: Apple ][ Date> 12/18/92 05:13:35 PM
- Sorc> The GS Express - San Jose Rcd > Sun. Dec 20 1992 @ 04:46
-
- >Big corporations are going to go with makes them the most money and
- >thats the way it is.
-
- Wait one minute. The Apple II was selling great with a huge following,
- Apple had a huge market which they totally ignored. This is not good
- business.
-
- The Apple II sold well for years even with -no- advertising and Apple
- dealers trying to steer everyone to the MAC.
-
- In other words, Apple did not go where the money was, and that is just
- the way things were.
-
-
- Rich
-
-
- Brd > Computer News * Apple // * Numb> 141 of 150
- To > The Contact (#381) From> Surfer Joe (#96)
- Subj> Re: Apple ][ Date> 12/19/92 11:44:16 AM
- Sorc> Apple Elite II Riverside Ca. Rcd > Sun. Dec 20 1992 @ 04:47
-
- >in our schools. Though I have heard that Apple is trying to sell Macs
- >to the schools, it will never happen with the type of financial stress
- >placed on them now, for they cant even keep the teachers working much
- >less have every school district buy 40 macs or whatever.
-
- Yeah, isn't that a joke! Teachers here make around $1100/mo, AIDES MUCH
- LESS! They are expected to try to control a group of about 40 kids whose
- education and I/Q varies very widely even though they may be in the same
- age groups.
-
- The teachers are so busy just trying to entertain, it is amazing anything
- worthwhile is learned. Smart Superintendants everywhere are allocating
- monies towards better using existing equipment. For me that means job
- security and increased budget to do what I want to do anyways. What good
- is ANY computer without someone who knows how to USE it??? Do your good
- deed for today, Teach-a-Teacher something about Apple II Computers! :-)
-
- If you think that this is just my opinion, then perhaps you are right,
- but you had better take another look at the latest issue of "Enhance"
- huh...
-
- >Anyways, just felt like putin' in my two cents.
-
- Well it was worth more than that 2me!
-
- jpe
-
-
- Brd > Computer News * Apple // * Numb> 143 of 150
- To > Rich (#16) From> The Snooper (#135)
- Subj> Re: Apple ][ Date> 12/19/92 12:57:20 PM
- Sorc> Apple Elite II Riverside Ca. Rcd > Sun. Dec 20 1992 @ 04:47
-
- When did Apple ever do anything that was expected. The company was
- founded in a garage and at times it still runs like it. The SysOp here
- bought a PowerBook 100 for reasons I don't know other then he says the
- price and size.
-
-
- Brd > Computer News * Apple // * Numb> 148 of 150
- To > John Sculley (#113) From> Bilbo (#49)
- Subj> Bilbo (#49) Date> Sun. Dec 20 1992 @ 16:09
-
-
- I find some of these statements simply amazing.... during the past 15
- years, I have spent the majority of my tenure in the service in various
- locations in Germany, France, Belgium, Holland, and the US.... during
- most of that time, employed also by Apple, Europe, as a representative
- servicing the various Army and Air Force Exchange outlets there.
-
- One thing I noticed over the years, was that Apple consistently failed to
- promote sales of the "//" line, yet sales of the // far outstripped the
- Mac in all those markets.
-
- I spent the majority of my "off" time (off from the demands of the
- military) traveling to various user groups, and to different exchanges,
- providing information, hardware upgrades, and even in some cases,
- transportating special orders (pick something up for a user from a store
- in France, and deliver it in Holland, etc), because of the order
- delays/backlogs through the exchange system.
-
- I have been privileged to be a participant in two Defence Nuclear Agency
- pilot projects, the first of which involved use of modified apple ][+'s,
- Corvus Omnidrives, multiple monitors, Pioneer laserdics (yep, they were
- available as commercial products THEN), all communicating with each other
- over hardwire or encrypted radio links... the purpose of this project
- was to enable a deployed headquarters to maintain up to the minute data
- communications even while dispersed over a wide area, enhancing
- survivability of the headquarters.
-
- (Real neat, slideshows/briefings up to the minute with digitized map
- support, in the early 80's!!!)
-
- This sole-source (meaning apple was the only one contacted) contract was
- denied by apple, for as they stated, they could not produce the equipment
- requested for the funding allocated, (in other words, they were holding
- out for more money).
-
- The next project involved a Tempest Secure (electromagnetically
- shielded/emmission shielded) Macintosh project for the pentagon. We
- wanted apple to provide a custom operating system, programming language,
- and equipment that was secure against electronic eavesdropping/espionage.
- Apple again turned it down, and the contract went to the Heath/Zenith
- folks, who subsequently, had a monopoly for many years, who basically set
- the stan that all supporting agencies and contractors had to follow.
-
- As CEO of a major corporation, as a leader, it is your responsibility to
- "take the helm" so to speak... to convince those stockholders that a
- product that continues to have a wide user base, and sells consistently,
- despite the decline in support and lack of advertising, is a viable
- product to sell.
-
- I have seen many, many examples of poor planning foresight on the part of
- many companies, not just apple, but they all share one thing in common...
- lack of vision. Many, many folks today would continue with apple, from
- the school level, to a higher grade home machine, to macs in the business
- world, stepping up as their means to obtain better equipment increases,
- provided such a path and such support is available.
-
- (Keep in mind tho, how cheap a 386/40 is today!)
-
- I am one of the many, many, many apple users who loves the machines, who
- has owned everything from an apple ][+, a /// (still got it), a //e, a
- //c, a Lisa, an SE30 and now two //gs's.
-
- But, like many other users, I have just purchased a 486 machine, with all
- it's many inconveniences, to be compatible with the equipment currently
- being used at my work.
-
- Many users are actively involved in the recommendation/decision phase of
- a companies procurement of computer equipment. My new employers at SA,
- knowing of my love for apples, and my experience with both Monkey Dos and
- Macs in business, asked for an honest cost-comparision, including factors
- such as software, hardware, available/projected manufacturer support,
- etc., and I was forced to recommend the Unisys 486 as being the most cost
- effective, despite my desire to be able to do otherwise.
-
- I have also had in the past, a Lisa (what a joke) and an SE30... and was
- very disapointed in the manner in which those machines were handled.
-
- So many, many apple users (and many Mac users) feel the same way.
-
- You, as CEO, are one of the "key" players in the decision making process,
- if a product is in fact a viable one, with the ability/staff to convince
- those needed convincing, of the availability of a market for a given
- product.
-
- I have a suggestion - offer a continued equipment upgrade - a true bridge
- between the // line and the Mac...
-
- offer an emulator card, that not only supports low end // software, but
- also gs software...
-
- set guidelines for your distributors/sales folks - continue to offer the
- // line as an upgradable path, a beginning "poor mans" computer... having
- a stepped upgrade to the mac line, in which a user does not lose his/her
- software investment, would do more to maintain customer loyalty than
- anything else the company could do.
-
- remember, the poor guy just out of high school today is the department
- head/manager/owner ten years from now... and his experience now dictates
- his buying decisions tommorrow.
-
- I am sure I am not alone in stating, "If such equipment/upgrade were
- available, I would purchase them"...
-
- do a market survey and find out!
-
-
-
- Brd > Computer News * Apple // * Numb> 150 of 150
- To > nitt (#107) From> Bilbo (#49)
- Subj> Re: Policies Date> Sun. Dec 20 1992 @ 16:20
-
-
- Whether it is a real post or not, it raises issues needed to be
- addressed.
-
- I am an apple stockholder - if you have something to say (stockholder or
- not) agitate for your views, spend a few minutes and a little time, and
- write...
-
- encourage others to do so... remember, it is not the silent majority that
- gets its views heard, and its needs fulfilled, it is the loud, obnoxious
- hell-raisers that are listened to... so if you want a change, write!!!
-
- *** Comments, anyone?
-
-