CompuServe Messages

Tony, Your points are well stated. Yes, Commodore had to start from a much worse position than Apple did when introducing the Macintosh. The "toy computer" image has never left them. But to me, this is an even stronger argument for not simply porting programs from the PC. "The Amiga has a version of 1-2-3? Really? How cute." CBM was never nearly as aggressive as Apple at trying to position the Amiga as a business machine. In fact, their marketing message changed at various times, and there were long gaps with no marketing message at all. Apple was pretty much consistent in its message to the outside world (in spite of massive division within the company), and this helped the Macintosh eventually gain acceptance. _And_ they kept hammering away at it. Sure, Apple had more money. This can explain the lack of a really aggressive marketing campaign (which is much more than just TV ads), but it doesn't explain the constantly changing message. James Bayless New Horizons Software, Inc.