CompuServe Messages

Just to add fuel to the fire, today I get an "offer" to continue receiving technical support for AmiLink form RGB for a mere $495 for a year. This is from the folks who bring out quarterly updates that actually take functionality out of the program, and who, in addition expect another $395 for an upgrade to supoort Toaster 3.0. The only thing the upgrade does is add two effect bank buttons, give you a "new look" screen that no longer allows you to veiw your EDL on half the screen with your control interface on the other half. Now, these guys are supposedly the cream of the crop of Amiga professional video tool suppliers. Because of these wonderful people, many of the people who first got me interested in the Amiga for Video have switched to PC's to run Editizer or other control programs that use the VLan hardware, and the Amiga is essentially relegated to Toaster Power Supply. Aside from Toaster and something like ADPro/ImageFX/ImageMaster, these people have left the Amiga market. One even uses the Amiga only when he needs a really whacky Toaster transition. Otherwise he uses a Panasonic switcher. So ever so quietely, the Amiga professional market is waning. ANd one other note: many of the same claims being made for CD32 were made for CDTV. And what were the utlimate sales figures on CDTV? And how wonderfuylly it was marketted by the departmen that was headed by the guy who is now the president of CBM. Another item to consider is that many professional operations will do there best not to get caught with expensive downtime situations. These days its nearly impossible to get an Amiga fixed, warranty or not. If you count on an Amiga to make a living, better have a hot spare ready to go unless you can afford to have a machine down for 4-8 months at a whack. How long is the professional community going to pput up with that once equivalent or better capabilities becopme available for relatively the same money on other platforms?