CompuServe Messages

Martin, I was going to post an original letter this eve on this subject, but instead will just reply to your start…. Here in Seattle the two local papers have had full TWO PAGE ads, on the back and middle of section 1, announcing the Phillips CD-I player (known as the 'Imagination Machine'). I was amazed to open the paper to these ads, which present CD-I very well, and left (even me) very interested. At work today I heard two other people discussing it at lunch (while reading paper one had noticed the ad). Neither are exactly 'techies', but probably own CD player, good VCR, etc. Well, the ad certainly got their interest! They were discussing the discs mentioned in the ad, and even speculating on what the future might hold. I gathered that the two of them were going to go out to look at it (CD-I) later. In short, the ads here are big, and I suspect will get people to go into the stores to look at it. It is being carried at Sears, Silo, Video Only, Fred Meyer, and a large dept store. There is supposed to be a demonstration kiosk at each of the stores, running the darn thing. There are certainly more 'prestigous' audio/video outlets for it, so I'd assume they made a marketing decision to appeal to the 'common folk'. The ad's show a very attractive CD-I player (looks sharp!), along with titles, etc. They make clear that you can use it as a CD player too. The remote looks very well designed. Ad copy is good. Anyway, I didn't want to rag CDTV about their marketing, but CDTV has been available for a good time here in Seattle, and there has never been any marketing of it. What does Commodore expect, that non-computer people will just wander into the local amiga dealer to check out what non-computer products might be for sale? (maybe it is supposed to be on sale in non-computer places, but I've never seen it) Sheese. If I was an 'average' consumer, which would you think I'd choose? CDTV, marketed by Commodore, rarely advertised, available mostly through Amiga [ MORE ]