CompuServe Messages

Paul, I express opinions here….quite obviously, they are my opinions. Just as you expressed your opinion about my message. That's what the forum is for. I do think it's silly for anyone to pay $1200 for a system to replace $10 worth of maps (or even $100 worth of maps). If you think differently, fine. If you have difficulty reading maps (that's not a slam…many folks have difficulty reading maps) then that $10 worth of maps is worthless to you, and a $1200 system may well be justified. However, even that is besides the point….my point that I have been trying to get across, is that for CDTV to be a commercial success, it must have wide appeal. It must have applications that can't be matched on any other device (other than a competitors CD ROM based device), it must have at least one application that will allow its cost to be justified. Joe Average Buyer likes toys, but Joe must justify the cost based on some real or perceived need. A major part of that justification must be cost effectiveness. If I can go into a book store and buy an encyclopedia for $800 or go into Toys-R-Us and buy a CDTV unit for $1200…then the majority of folks will opt for the $800 set of books. If I can take a modified CDTV unit and stick it in my car for $1500 (that's a guess for a mobile HUD based unit as we've been discussing) or buy $100 worth of maps…guess what Joe Average Buyer is going to opt for. Not very many folks are interested in astronomy, so an application that would catch my eye…probably wouldn't catch other's eyes. But I brought that up, because such a system would replace a few hundred dollars worth of books, would replace an astronomical calculator and a planetarium all at once. It's unique, nothing like that exists on the market today although separate programs to do some of it do exist (total cost about $500 for the programs). Not only would that particular applications replace that set of programs, it would go far beyond them. continued…