Important!!
The danger of this thread is that people are hypothesizing (sp?) the Amiga
into an early grave, based on incomplete information. Like any rumor mill,
it's too easy to let things slip into the most dire predictions when things
are not necessarily that bad.
As to the repair shop having items in stock, it seems to me that a decently
stocked repair shop is still decently stocked, because he had his 8520's
and whatever else before this policy went into effect. As long as he
returns defectives as he orders new materials, he should be able to keep
the same amount of parts in stock — at least in theory. The practical
side will depend on how good a businessman he is and how meticulous he is
about sorting out and returning the old parts. Some dealers I've met
probably couldn't find the right place to insert their toothbrush in the
morning, and they won't keep up — but that's not Commodore's fault, IMHO.
That's also a whole different issue that's been debated here before.
The one who might have a real problem is a new dealer / repair shop, and I
believe that an allowance is being made for an initial stock of repair
parts for such a store. Keep in mind that along with the new pricing
structure was a notice from Reeder to the dealers that said, in effect,
"Here's a new policy we're trying out — get back to us with what you see
as real problems or hardships, so we can smooth the rough edges for you."
Don't misjudge me — I'm not easily misled, I'm not blind or stupid, and if
I thought this situation smacked of the imminent demise of the Amiga or the
support network I would be screaming (one of my job functions in the studio
is to negotiate with vendors — I'm an extremely harsh negotiator and I do
NOT put up with being jerked around). I just don't see the situation that
way: I don't see Commodore's current stance as being any different than the
rest of the industry.
Pete