#COMPUTE anger
109 messages in this thread
Allow me to make some flames here.
Has anyone seen the latest APRIL issue of COMPUTE? Well…they stuck in
some "April Fool's" stories which, in the Amiga edition, includes a "Taking
Sides" article debating the latest revelation that Commodore has been
quietly sold to Playskool. Any of us Amiga watchers who tune into CIS
regularly would recognize this as total garbage and be looking for the joke
immediately.
The problem is that this "joke" has enough plausibility to be true to those
who don't follow every hiccup that comes out of Commodore but already have
doubts about the credibility of the Amiga. I guess that such a "joke
article" could maybe even cost a few Amiga sales with those who are on the
fence: "Hmmm…should I buy a cool, but expensive Amiga with a more limited
machine base, or should I follow the herds and buy a superfast PC clone at
half the price….eee gads! Looks like those Commodore schleps have
abandoned the Amiga to Playskool…guess I'll buy the clone…."
Don't get me wrong. I absolutely love the Amiga, but we all know that in
the backs of our minds is the constant concern that Commodore's inept
marketing could kill this machine, despite its strong nitch in video. Such
an article is kind of like printing a "joke article" in the Wall Street
Journal that a particular bank is going to go under and strand its
depositers, creating a panic that ultimately turns the "joke" into truth.
In other words, I eventually figured out that the article was a joke,
though the article never clearly states that it is an April Fool's stunt,
and, realizing that it was supposed to be funny, still did not see the
humor. For the editors to pull such a trick is a bit of a gamble…and I
believe that on this gamble….they lost.
I'm already ticked off that when I subscribed to COMPUTE, I received 4 or 5
back issues, meaning that I have the added benefit of a one year
subscription that expires 7 months after I started it….. This latest has
settled it….I'm not renewing when the 7 months are up…. I guess I lack
all sense of humor….
Hmm. Do you get Radio-Electronics magazine? Each April, they slip in
several (sometimes subtle, sometimes not) joke articles and letters.
It's part of April Fool's fun both to find them, and to watch the reaction
from new readers' letters the following month 🙂
I'd say that since you figured out the joke, then others will as well. If
nothing else, it seems like a great commentary on how people jump at
Commodore rumors all the time… and a great warning to think about what
you're reading, while you're reading it.
Upshot: If they'd done it in any other month than April, I think everyone
would agree it was in bad taste. But April is special…. <grin>… almost
all magazines pull stunts for that month. I'd worry a lot more if fellow
owners felt that such jokes were "dangerous"; THEN the machine is in
trouble.
cheers – kev
They got me in Hihg school on an article about a 1930's radio receiver
that could pick up 1930's programs by a special tuning trick that
allowed them to pick up the echoed back stuff from some asteroids
that were 30 light year round trip!! Duh… :^}
Heh heh. I remember that one well! A friend of mine was taken in by
one that described how to make high efficiency solar cells using
ordinary beach sand, a few other common household things, and a
regular kitchen oven. He actually had the shovel with him that day,
and was going to head for the beach at lunch time.
LOL..If anyone is an Audiophile..they would know that Stereo Review
has had an April Fools issue for years. My favorite that comes to
mind is a 83? issue..that featured a new USSR invention..a notebook
size home stereo componet system..the beauty of the review was that
the remote control was as big as an elephant! You needed a 10 FT pole
to push the buttons! HA Ha! My pity to anyone who can't see through
the comedy of these articles!
Ahhh! And was/is it Car&Driver or Road&Track that used to (still does?)
review the performance of such oddities as blimps, dump trucks, and trains?
(The locomotive did *very* well on cornering… like it was on rails! 🙂
The sad thing is that the COMPUTE item didn't really make fun of
anything Commodore did (lack of marketing, etc..) but just played
along with the common misconceptions people have about the Amiga
iteself.
actually that's not too far off from Thomas Edison's reputed strange
belief that you should be able to recover the sound of anything which
occured in the past if you had a sensitive enough receiver. Asteroids
are only a few minutes away by lightwave – enough of a giveaway to
keep most people from getting too roped in by such a story I should
hope!
Even Scientific American had a April Fools Mathematical Games column
a couple of years back in which they took the topological proof that
you can disassemble a sphere and reassemble it in a larger size to
its literal limit. I actually got a referral from a guy who took it
seriously – the letter was quite bizarre (guy claimed to have
invented a method he simply wanted me to do all the work on it for
free) and got referred to me by the author of the column. I got a
kick out of it, myself. The actual column took the idea of that
topological proof to literally say there was a way to take a
marble-sized sphere of gold and make it into one the size of a
baseball. And this guy who contacted me actually I think was a bit
mad. Deluded at least. Come on, guys. Can't take a joke? All this
stuff about Commodore's ineptness is getting tiresome. So many
'complaining letters' in the magazines, etc. I'm ready for all the
moaners and groaners to put a sock in it. Want the Amiga to go
somewhere? Create a great product for it! Like NewTek did just for
one well-known example. Commodore is owned by people who have the
freedom to do what they want with it. It is their company. Want
control over Commmodore? Buy it.
I don't know. Playskool makes fine products and has a much better track
record for customer support than CBM. Some of my favorite toys came from
PlaySkool. I'm still hoping it's true 🙂
Michael
….from the north coast
Er…I thought Galoob owned Commodore. 🙂 -Jeff
Steven,
Sorry the April Fools article upset you. I thought Randy Thompson's closing
made it sufficiently clear that this was an April Fools joke.. Perhaps I
should have edited it and clearly put the words "April Fools" at the end of
the article.
Reading the descriptions of the computers, et. al., in the article, though,
I sincerely doubt anyone who stopped to think about it would really think
it was true. It was very tounge-in-cheek. Not to mention it would have been
mentioned elsewhere in the magazine than just Taking Sides… I can't see
anyone truly allowing that humor column to change their mind about buying
an Amiga.
Most of the feedback I've gotten on that article has been positive–most
folks, even some Commodore folks who've called me, thought it was funny.
Anyway, it wasn't meant to frighten or upset anyone, and for that I'm truly
sorry.
Denny Atkin
Editor, Amiga Resource
COMPUTE Magazine
PS: Steven, call the 800-727-6937 subscription number and complain about
the back issues you were sent. I'm fairly sure they'll work out extending
your subscription at no charge.
Still no copy of AR seen at the office:
Black Belt Systems
398 Johnson Rd
Glasgow MT
59230
Sure would like to see it… :^)
Sorry, Ben. I thought it had been sent to you. I'll put one in the mail
myself this afternoon. (BTW, I still need a release copy of NB as well.)
Ok, fair enough. I'll see to it that a NB gets out to you tomorrow.
Steven,
I agree that it is in bad taste. What's even in worse taste is Compute
thinking so little of the Amiga they refuse to put Amiga in the main
magazine.
-sja
Steve:
While agree that it is a shame that COMPUTE doesn't include the AMIGA
section in the general newstand edition I think you know that such things
aren't decided on 'taste', but rather economics, and the fact is that the
ad revenue produced by the Amiga pages doesn't pay for the inclusion of
those pages in COMPUTE. Yeah, it sucks. I no longer subscribe. But Compute
isn't a free newsletter either.
Michael (via TapCis on a laptop…. yuck!)
I can't believe that it cost less to produce 2 different editions than it
would to produce one.
I'm sure if he cared to, Denny could provide the numbers… but I'm
CERTAIN it costs less to do a few thousand issues with the AR section
than to include that section in the hundreds of thousands of COMPUTE
that go out to PC subscribers and newstands.
Are you in the pockets of Ami Compute!? Or are you buddies of them?
Why stick up for them? The simple truth is that the way Compute!
treats Amiga users is as follows..
"We used to put out an all Amiga magazine..but we were bought
out..rather than be out of a job..we will continue with an "Amiga
edition" As long as stupid Amiga users continue to subscribe."
Hogwash! If Compute! magazine wishes to include Ami users..then do
it! Don't have this *hidden* edition bull.
The reason this mesg has such bitterness to it is simple:
I was an all Amiga Compute! subscriber, and a Compute!(IBM)
subscriber. My sister was a IBM person..and I tried to tell her the
merits of the Ami. Then all of a sudden my Compute!(IBM) issue was
replaced by a Compute!(IBM) *with AMIGA section* issue! WOW! I
thought..all thoes (I)ncredible (B)oring (M)achine people would learn
something. WRONG!!!
It's as if Compute! is ashamed to acknowledge that there are Amiga
users out there..and they do there best to hide it!
Tom,
(Egads. Here I am about to launch a typical CIS flame. Neat.)
Please allow me to introduce myself. (Hmm, where have I heard that before?)
I'm Denny Atkin, editor of the Amiga Resource section of COMPUTE. I find it
really interesting that you know the "simple truth" of COMPUTE's Amiga
support, considering we've never met or talked, and I've never seen you
wandering around the COMPUTE offices. (Although I did read a book about
you. 😉
COMPUTE isn't ashamed about anything. The simple fact is that we have about
25,000-30,000 Amiga subscribers, and COMPUTE has a total of almost 350,000
readers. These are tough economic times, and the financial powers that be
decided to just create a special Amiga edition for the Amiga readers. To be
perfectly honest, although I had no part in that decision, I'm sure that,
with the current situation in the US dealing with the Amiga, it was a
choice of doing that or just dropping Amiga coverage. Personally, I'm quite
happy that they chose to keep the magazine going.
I work long and hard to put out the best darned Amiga section I can. I'm
not in it to keep my job–I've turned down a number of other opportunities
while I've been at COMPUTE–but because I love writing and I love the
Amiga. It really makes me angry to work my butt off and read a flame like
yours. Stop and look at the reality of business. User group newsletters are
created out of love. Magazines have to bring in an income to survive. I'm
sure if Commodore was selling as many Amigas as they were C64s, we'd have a
huge Amiga section in every issue. If Commodore ever does get their act
together and get the Amiga's sales up where they deserve to be, there's a
good chance we'll be able to release a separate Amiga magazine again.
Michael looked at things realistically and logically. Your statement about
being "ashamed to acknowledge that there are Amiga users out there" makes
no sense at all.
COMPUTE offers 12 32-page issues of Amiga coverage, with the PC section
thrown in free, for only $9.97. Per page, that's a heckuva value. The
<continued>
right on, Denny. I haven't ever even seen a Compute 'AR edition,
but, given the situation in the economy and other publications
vanishing like snowflakes on a hot day I'm glad Compute! is at least
keeping some Amiga-knowledgable journalists and reviewers working and
informing their small but dedicated subscriber base. I, too, think
it is so strange how so many people have free advice on how to manage
other people's business. Maybe that is a bit unfair, but economics
are a tough taskmaster. Anyone who disagrees should try surviving on
their own wits instead of working for an employer! I hope Compute!
will eventually see a large enough profitability in a Amiga Mag to
re-introduce one ASAP. Good luck and I'd love to see one of your AR
issues.
RE:"I'm Denny Atkin, editor of the Amiga Resource section of COMPUTE. I
find it really interesting that you know the "simple truth" of
COMPUTE's Amiga support, considering we've never met or talked, and
I've never seen you wandering around the COMPUTE offices."
Real funny Denny..As if an Amiga user is so ignorant that he/she would
have to "wander around the COMPUTE offices" to have enough common
sence to figure out what your Ami support is. (half ass support at
best. All one need do is see what comes off the press.)
–>"Personaly, I'm quite happy that they chose to keep the magazine
going."<–
Ya.. I bet you are. You are still are on the payroll are you not?
–>"I work long and hard to put out the best darned Amiga section I
can.
I'm not in it to keep my job–I've turned down a number of other
opportunities while I've been at COMPUTE–but because I love writing
and I love the Amiga. It really makes me angry to work my butt off and
read a flame like yours."<–
I have no doubt you work long and hard to do what you do. But yet.. I
won't dare ask what other "opportunities" you've turned down…(you
won't tell us anyway) If I understand you..you are saying you have
turned down other jobs paying *more*? than you make now? I can't
believe it. If these other offers pay less..well who would take a cut
in pay. Is it possible that you love your position at COMPUTE so much
that you would turn down another "opportunity" that paid more? This
one has me wondering. As far as you being angry about working your
butt off.. and reading a flame like mine..well all I can say about
this is what I said was no flame at all! It was the Gods honest
truth! If it makes you angry..maybe you should ask for a raise!
I really think you're being very unfair to Denny. Lighten up,
man! It's obvious that COMPUTE does not meet your needs/desires as a
publication — that's perfectly OK, since it is impossible for them
(or anyone) to create a magazine that's targeted for everyone. But
it is rather presumptuous of you to attack Denny this way for not
providing _your vision_. If you don't like the mag, DON'T BUY IT. If
enough folks agree with you, then the mag will suffer, and either
choose to do something about it (i.e., change) or go under. I
personally do not read COMPUTE either – primarily because it's
targeted readership doesn't really hit _my_ mark. However, I don't
blame them one bit. Obviously, they have enough "targets" to remain
publishing (so far).
No, I do not now, nor have I had in the past, any business
relationship with COMPUTE magazine. I don't have a personal stake in
this matter. I have, on a number of occasions, met Denny and respect
him as a person and as an editor. Yes, he has given a very good
review to my current game, for which I am appreciative, but I don't
"owe" him anything in return for it. Your remarks just touched a
nerve in me, and I felt I had to say something in rebuttal.
Tom:
Denny is only the Editor of the Amiga section. I doubt that he makes policy
decisions for the whole magazine. If he's told "you have 32 pages, do your
best" or something along those lines, and he does as good a job as he can,
why fault him for his bosses decisions? Would you prefer that he quit his
job, Compute become a PC only magazine, and yet more Amiga coverage dies as
a result? Face it, the Amiga section of Compute stands a better chance of
living than a stand-alone Amiga magazine would at this time. Hopefully when
the economy gets better, and *IF* the Amiga gets more popular (as it might
if Playskool DID buy the Amiga) perhaps Compute will once again include the
Amiga section in all their magazines, rather than the subscription only
method they're using now.
-Mike Schiller
In sunny Fort Lauderdale
PlaySkool? Are you starting a rumor, Mike? (snicker)
Regards, Whap!penned…
Pat @Oxxi (310) 427-1227
Pat:
No. I'm not starting a rumor, just restating one.
-Mike Schiller
In sunny Fort Lauderdale
Mike:
COMPUTE will never step up it's Amiga coverage to its former
equal/independant distribution. And, to rephrase what I've said already, if
COMPUTE were to discontinue 'Resource' altogether, it would mean more
revenue for the other Amiga publications (the ones on the newsstands) and
the results of THOSE economics are obvious.
Christopher,
Don't be surprised if COMPUTE does eventually break Amiga Resource back out
again. In fact, at the World of Commodore show at the end of 1990, we told
folks we were planning to do just that. However, as we were doing the
preliminary planning to launch a new version of Amiga Resource, the economy
nose-dived and the Gulf War hit, and the powers that are decided that it
wasn't a good environment to relaunch a magazine.
Magazines are folding left and right. Signal Research in Greensboro, who
did computer and console-gaming mags, just shut down… Nobody is taking
big risks in the industry right now. The only new computer magazine I've
seen in the last six months is IDG's MPC magazine. Most of the other new
launches I've seen (AW Tech, Windows and OS/2 Magazine, etc.) have folded
in less than a year. So the industry is being very conservative–it's not
related to the Amiga at all.
I sincerely doubt Amiga Resource is stealing revenue from other Amiga
magazines. Every reader survey I received showed the reader subscribing to
at least one other Amiga mag. By the revenue argument, we should all shut
down and give the $$$ to AmigaWorld.
Denny –
While magazines such as C Gazette and Programmers Journal have also
recently folded, Oakley Pubs recently launched Windows Tech Journal.
Jeff Schweiger
If compute "breaks out", I for one will subscribe instantly, and I bet I
can get most, if not all, of our 22 member Amiga club here in Glasgow to do
the same. It's a small chunk, but it IS a chunk.
–Ben
Boy, are you ignorant. You think that the only thing to a job is money??
That's only part of it…an important part, granted, but only a part. It's
also very important to enjoy want you're doing. I can't speak for Denny,
but I get calls from headhunters all the time trying to get me to take a
job with more money but I turn them down because I enjoy what do, I enjoy
the people I work with. I'm pretty sure that Denny does what he does for
much the same reasons.
The people that hop from job to job just to get more money often end up in
jobs they hate…I've seen it happen many times.
Steve
RE:"Boy, are you ignorant. You think that the only thing to a job is
money?? That's only part of it…an important part, granted, but only
a part. It's also very important to enjoy want you're doing. I can't
speak for Denny, but I get calls from headhunters all the time trying
to get me to take a job with more money but I turn them down because I
enjoy what do, I enjoy the people I work with."
Dear Steve,
Anyone who has read my reply to Denny would know that I asked him:
TS"You have turned down other opportunities that paid more?
I find this hard to believe."
And here you come back with the same line..IE: "I could get paid more..but
I love my job..I love what I do..
So..What are these self proclaimed *jobs* you guys have turned down?
I know..none of your business. And I accept this position. I never intended
to imply that *I* thought money was numeral one.
As far as you calling me ignorant..I'll except this label from you. But
what does it say comming from someone who knows nothing about me.. or what
jobs I've turned down for what amount of pay?
– Tom Sawyer
It says that people here are judging you solely on the words you leave
behind. And, IMHO, 'ignorant' is far too polite. I can say that. I'm not a
sysop here. As polite and open as Denny was to you in his reply, you still
showed a complete lack of common decency, courtesy, and knowledge.
Michael
….from the north coast
You're right. It is none of your business, but I'll tell you anyway.
They're calls for jobs in X-Window, high performance networking, and UNIX
kernel programming. Since that's what I do now, and I'm perfectly happy
where I am, there's no reason to jump ship.
>But what does it say comming from someone who knows nothing about me
We can only determine what you're like from what you've written here, and
it says a lot about what you're like in person.
Go back and read everything you've written to Denny, and then go back and
ask yourself the same question.
Steve
other option is to be like Byte, PC Computing, Computer Shopper, and the
other mainstream mags and offer only a token mention of the Amiga every six
months or so.
I'm sorry you're angry. But I'm happy that COMPUTE still has a presence in
the Amiga market, even if they had to go to a rather bizarre form of
distribution to keep it. It certainly beats what happened to AmiProject,
Amiga Sentry, AmigaPlus, Amiga Transactor, Ahoy's AmigaUser, AmigaWorld
Tech Journal, Commodore Magazine, and countless other Amiga publications
that just threw in the towel.
— Denny Atkin
(The above remarks are solely the personal opinion of Denny Atkin,
and don't necessarily reflect those of any other person or
organization. His cat Bill agrees with him, though.)
Denny,
Change the name of the mag and give it better distribution. That would
solve both problems.
-sja
But then all those Amigaphiles would complain that they're paying for
all that Mac and PC and C-64 coverage that they don't want. (Geez,
we're talking about a year's subscription for ten bucks.)
Magazines are folding left and right across the country due to the
pitiful economic situation. Signal Research here in Greensboro,
started by COMPUTE!'s founder, just shut down a couple of weeks ago.
Now is not the the time to be starting new magazines. Pulling Amiga
Resource out of COMPUTE and getting it better distribution wouldn't
make up for the fact that advertisers don't have much money to spend,
and users are watching their discretionary (subscription) money very
tightly right now.
If the economy picks up, and Commodore makes some bold moves to get
the Amiga excitement going again, there's a good chance it could
happen. But not right now. In the meantime, at $9.95 for 12 issues
(and a free general computer/PC magazine wrapped around it to protect
it) for subscribers, I think we offer a good deal that has a place in
the current market.
Yeah, CBM making bold moves. Like, raising the price of the 2000
series platform. Like, taking forever on networking and DIG
solutions. Like the way they advertised CDTV (not!). Like, the way
they made far too few 2.0 enhancer kits so that people can['t even
GET the new OS.
Don't hold your breath, Denny.
Do you see pattern developing here? It seems that whenever the issue
of COMPUTE's Amiga content or distribution comes up, a sub-thread of
resentment starts rolling on and on.
Well, I know this is no consolation but, <bonk!> Homey don' play dat!
Magazines don't make it when they're perceived as market-driven
entities, rather than simply an information 'service' (or 'resource',
if you will). While the Amiga community has all but forgotten you
and your Amiga subscriptions dwindle, the significance of your
service to this community as an editor of Compute is drifting from
minimal to ridiculous. COMPUTE is only taking away a small piece of
the subscription pie from the REAL Amiga publications that work to
keep 'Amiga' visible in large type at newsstands. I believe your job
at COMPUTE is increasingly a waste of the talent I enjoyed in Amiga
Resource years ago; Once a magazine snubs a platform the way COMPUTE
has with the Amiga, you can be sure the coverage will never flourish
again.
BTW – I've had subscriptions to COMPUTE! and later Amiga Resource,
which I _really_ enjoyed. I don't think COMPUTE is ashamed of
anything, but I also don't think they care. I hope someday you are
able to find a position at AmigaWorld, A.C. or .info.
A dozen messages on CIS between five people is not a national trend. 🙂
Look at Compute's circulation of the non-Amiga version. Their PC coverage
is at the same level of seriousness / fluffiness as the Amiga section, yet
circulation tops 350,000 customers.
"Real" publications? What does that mean? Let me guess: you're not happy
unless General Media publishes an Amiga-only magazine. It's not "real"
unless it's 100 percent. Byte's not 100 percent PC. Should we start
counting the other publications that once had Amiga coverage, but dropped
it? Or all the others that mention Amigas if the writer happens to
remember it in a discussion of multimedia? Your definitions are backwards:
Compute "snubs" the Amiga by maintaining an Amiga section?
Do me a big favor. Call INFO magazine and ask for a job. Hah! They're
cutting back and writing almost everything in-house because they can't
afford to hire freelance writers who get paid 10-30 cents a word. Or
better yet, ask them where my last paycheck is. 🙂 That's what the "real"
magazines are going through today.
COMPUTE wasn't 100% Amiga when the Amiga section was distributed
universally. Now it is just an exclusive insert. It's not really the
proportions, but the distribution. I'm not surprised that .info is having
hard financial times, but they're more accessible than you are.
RE: "If the economy picks up, and Commodore makes some bold moves to get
the Amiga excitement going again"
Dear Denny,
You best take off your rose colored glasses! For number one..the
economy is not likely to pick up(3 billion dollar deficit etc etc ),
and number two.. what in the world is C= likely to do to renew Amiga
excitement again? What is left? Anyone in there right mind would by a
IBM compatible. Just go and price the A2000.. then go and price a
"PC"..Then go and see what software is available..for each
system..HA! What a joke!
PS: Me has an Amiga.
Have you priced PC software lately? It's WAY overpriced.
As for what Commodore might do…..we'll see….. <grin!>
Steve
Dear Steve,
RE:"Have you priced PC software lately? It's WAY overpriced."
Dear Steve,
That may be true..but you can't get this over priced software at *any*
price for the Amiga.
NO?
– Tom Sawyer
Wrong….with the Bridgeboard, you can run that PC software. But you can't
do the opposite (run Amiga software on the PC) unless the developer
translates it to run on the PC.
Steve
PS. Are you related to someone named Marc Barrett?
As an person who works for an Amiga dealership, let me attempt to
explain to you the merits (yes, merits) of the price hike of the
A2000.
On the surface, it seems ridiculous to raise the price of the A2000 to
the current suggested retail price. Consider this however. Amiga
dealerships have been suffering from having products that don't
return enough profit for the dealers to survive. Since the A500
power up program is over I can tell you that Amiga dealers made about
$18 per machine sold. Tell me, how many computers sales would it
take to keep the doors open with 'profit' like that.
Commodore realized that the existing dealer base is well on its way
to vanishing unless profitability was restored. The A2000 has been a
dead product ever since the A3000 was released. The _only_ people
who buy A2000s are people who want the video toaster. Video people
are used to spending larger coins than the average "I gotta git it
cheap" Amiga customer. Commodore decided that they would like to
make more money, and felt that the dealers should be able to make
more money, and we are!
To date, the only people to complain about the price of the A2000 are
Amiga owners who all think they can run Commodore better. Not a
single video professional who wants to do video has complained about
the price. Remember the suggested retail price is not necesarily the
price the dealer is going to charge for the A2000.
As an Amiga owner I know where you are coming from, but as some one
who likes to bring home some coins from the dealership I know where
Commodore is coming from.
Yeah, the magazine is taking the right tack, by keeping the
publication alive and I aplaud that, but how do you propose to
increase distrubution (the Amiga portion)?
I don't subscribe to Compute! because the issues that I have
available to me do not cover the Amiga. I have read some of this
thread and apparently you do good work and are respected, but I have
no way of knowing if the magazine will inform or entertain me! If
the Amiga version of the magazine were available on the newstand,
maybe I might like it and subscribe, maybe not, but I would at least
be able to make a decision.
Granted ten dollars is small sum, but I wouldn't spend that on
anything else sight unseen. I truly hope that your magazine
succeeds, but until it gets some exposure, I tend to view it in the
same light as vaporware, it might exist, but I've never seen it.
I understand your point. All I can say is… If you ever get near a
Software Etc. or BizMart, check it out there.
Believe me, if I was in charge, Amiga Resource would be on every
newsstand. Then again, if I was in charge, COMPUTE would be a
32-page section in Amiga Resource. 😉
It is good to have someone who is a positive force for Amigas in your
position but I can't help but think that in a period of time the
powers that be in your field will look at the amiga version of
Compute! and will say "Since their circulation is stagnant…." Well,
you get the drift.
Well put Denny. I'm sure glad you get more sleep than Ben 🙂
My big problem with COMPUTE only putting the Amiga in a special
subscriber's edition is that I only buy magazines off the newsstand
anymore. I don't even subscribe to magazines which I buy on a
regular monthly basis. So basically there is no chance for me to see
your work. . It also seems to me you're in a dead end situation:
Without the Amiga stuff being shipped on the newsstand copies, I
can't for the life of me see how COMPUTE intends to increase it's
Amiga subscriber base, or for that matter, the advertiser base. So
while the magazine grows, the Amiga segment will appear not to grow,
and eventually it will no longer be appropriate to make a seperate
edition. Or so it seems to me. (Out of curiosity, is the Amiga
segment of your subscribers growing, shrinking, or staying the same?)
I'll speak up. I'm a regular Compute columnist. If you'd take off your
Amiga blinders for a moment, it will begin to make sense. Most of the
personal computer market has a PC or a Mac. They don't want to read Amiga
stuff. They don't mind seeing Mac or PC stuff, even if they don't own one,
because they probably mingle with the other machine. Compute did Amiga
people a favor by keeping an Amiga section. They could have dropped it
very easily. Instead, they found a solution that could keep Compute's
Amiga coverage going, by piggy-backing on a PC and Mac magazine. Frankly,
I'm happy that a major magazine publisher has an Amiga title in their line,
the same way I'm glad that IDG has kept AmigaWorld around all these years.
Without these two flagship magazines, what would we have? The other
Amiga-specific publishers scare Death and Creditors away from their door
every month. I wish I could tell you how close they've all come to closing
their doors. I'm sure both General Media and IDG have reconsidered their
Amiga magazines more than once. The magazine market changes quickly, and a
magazine about computers lives with a double risk: the whims of the
publishing market and the whims of the computer market.
RE:"I'm a regular Compute columnist. If you'd take off your Amiga blinders
for a moment, it will begin to make sence."
Now now John…who has the Amiga blinders on..a person as yourself(ON
COMPUTES PAYROLL!) Or a person not seeing dollar signs? Why is it that
all the people who disagree with me are getting paid by this outfit?
Gads..if I were on the pay..I would be on your side. BUT..I'm not the
first one..or the last one to say that the whole way COMPUTE! covers
the Amiga SUCKS!!!
RE:"I wish I could tell you how close they've(other mags) all come to
closing their doors."
This I totally agree with you: You can't say!
If you *can* say..tell us who you have talked to from what magazine and how
close they were to throwing in the towel!
Payroll? It's not like a get an unconditional check from them. I get
paid for what I write; it's a job, get it? I write for a number of
other Amiga magazines, too – including a number of them that went
down the tubes. The bare facts: you can get a subscription to
Compute! for next to nothing. Please, please, compare the price to
any other Amiga mag. Yes, the coverage is not as extensive as other
magazines, but at least they're covering the Amiga, aren't they?
Would it "suck" if Byte offered a seventy-page optional Amiga insert
every month?
As for other Amiga mags closing their doors, I was tech editor at
Amazing Computing for about two years when it first started, and
wrote upwards of 20 percent of the magazine every month. I know what
they went through. And I knew at least three other Amiga mags – some
alive, some now dead – well enough to know about their financial
troubles. You tell me your yearly salary and personal financial
information in public, and maybe that will be enough inspiration for
a representative from one of these other mags come forward to
disclose their dirty laundry in public. Do you work for a living?
OK, I'll bite. I'm not a Compute! columnist. My only association with
Compute! is that I've written one sidebar about CompuServe a couple of
years ago, and that I "know" Denny from being online. I think the fact
that Compute! covers the Amiga is mainly because of Denny. He works damn
hard on that magazine. If it wasn't for him, I bet there wouldn't be any
Amiga section at all! If you want to see magazines whose coverage of the
Amiga is really bad, take a look at Byte. They profess to cover all
systems, but how much of it is ever about the Amiga?
Compute's Amiga section always has interesting news (sometimes it's the
only place you'll hear about that news too), and it always has interesting
columns and articles.
I really respect the way Denny handles Compute!'s Amiga coverage….so much
so, I recommended that a friend submit his program to be considered for
Compute's Amiga disk because I knew they'd pay a fair price to get quality
work. I was right too…my friend's program is on the April disk.
As for John's assessment of Amiga magazines….I totally agree. Since you
know nothing about the Amiga magazine world or it's players, I doubt of
explaining it would do anything but drudge up good cannon fodder for the
"Bandito" column in Amazing Computing. It certainly wouldn't change your
mind, since it already seems to made up.
Steve
I don't think I've actually ever seen Denny's coverage of Amiga; and since
I won't subscribe without seeing it on the newstand, probably never will.
Ron
Ron,
My "problem" with Compute's Amiga coverage is lack of distribution. I
don't subscribe to it. My wife is the self proclaimed "catalog queen" and,
because of it, I get about 10 pounds of mail a day. I don't need to add
more — besides, a magazine would get lost in with all of those catalogs
<grin>. Since Compute's distribution of the Amiga version is poor, I don't
find it at the grocery store like the regular Compute edition, and I refuse
to drive 20 miles just to pick up a copy.
That aside, I have nothing be the utmost respect for Denny. He is a real
Amiga advocate, loves his job and does it well. He's a credit to the Amiga
community. I have no problem with the content of the Amiga version of the
mag (other than the PlaySkool thing which I thought was in bad taste only
because it promoted the toy computer image). The problem I have with the
mag is that of distribution — and that's out of the hands of the editorial
staff.
-sja
I don't mind NIGHT-N-DAY INTAMATES, VICTORIAS SECRET, or even the
LANDS ENDS, LL BEANS and mas of other clothing stuff my receives on
an ever increasing basis… it's the multiple copies of LILLIAN
VERNON that make me cringe (and NONE of them have an Amiga section)
Really? I would have sworn that Victorias Secret sold amiga stuff… maybe
I was distracted! 😉
Bill
– via Whap!
Byte has said before that they would cover the Amiga, but never get any
articles, press releases, or anything else from the Amiga market. Why don't
Amiga companies send press releases to Byte? Do it, and see what happens.
Write some articles and send them in to Byte. It's not their fault; Amiga
users just aren't pushing hard enough.
Darin, SPC Superbase Technical Support
You're kidding right? Amiga users have flooded Byte with requests for
more coverage of the Amiga, and they've done little or nothing about
it. It's turned into a PC magazine. Shame too, because it used to
be a really good magazine.
Requests won't help. Byte needs INFORMATION, not requests for
information that they don't have. Send them press releases, call them
and talk about writing articles, etc. Don't say "You need more Amiga
support!", say "Here's an Amiga article. Run it." If they don't have
things to run, then all the requests in the world won't make any
difference. (These opinions are my personal opinions, and don't
reflect on SPC or its employees.)
That's also been done, but Byte still refuses to do anything with the
Amiga.
Steve
Some Amiga companies DO send press releases to Byte.
Further, I've approached them about writing a regular column for them
regarding the Amiga, and was told "we'd love it, but we don't have the
space".
I think you can read that as "no Amiga vendors advertise here, we're
not about to provide the space". One look at Byte and you *know* it's
an advertising-driven magazine. Certainly they show absolutely no
interest in being a responsible magazine covering the small system
market. I rather doubt that there is anyone over there with such a
concern. Why? Money. Nuff said.
I agree, for the most part, with your estimate of Byte…but how do
you explain the 3000 that ended up on the cover when the machine was
first being launched?
I explain it as a weak moment.
How do you explain the reams of <yawn> 386 and <bored look> 486's that
adorn the cover almost every month? Blechh. They maybe thought the 3000
would sell well, or CBM said, we'll advertise. I have no idea. Clearly, it
had little or no effect on anyone.
–Ben
Byte's relationship with the Amiga is old. After being snubbed in the face
of good 'feedback' from the Amiga community more than once, many of us have
had enough; Byte is a lost cause. I've owned an Amiga since '88, and have
been in computing since '83 but haven't bought an issue of Byte in years..
I'll only peek inside at the newsstand at their 'token' Amiga coverage.
Believe me, there are people with Byte that try to make SURE the Amiga
isn't covered regularly.
I disagree with you. I am not pleased by the position COMPUTE has
taken with Amiga Resource, but I acknowledge their right to run their
business the way they please. I think that your message to Denny
Atkin and now John Foust is rude and awfully ignorant.
STILL not one user here agrees with your remarks.
Compute is a rather unique magazine. It does a reasonable job of
covering several platforms in one magazine. It doesn't pretend to be
the beat all, end all expert on any of those platforms.
As such, it offers a good cross section of what is going on to ALL
the various owners of the various platforms. It may just educate a PC
person as to what's going on in the Amiga world, and vice-versa. I've
learned quite recently that there are SOME Amiga owners out there who
don't have a CLUE as to what PC's can do, and come off sounding like
raving lunatics because they just think of PC's as 'evil can't do
nuthin' boxes.
It's obvious that Compute doesn't offer the kind of coverage that
suits your taste. That's no problem, but I don't see why that's such
a big deal for you. As they say, vote with your wallet. Walk away.
Buy something else.
If your goal here is to 'improve' what you feel is a relatively
lacking bit of Amiga support in that magazine, you really aren't
going about it the right way. If you offered something more than 'it
stinks', with specific examples of how the existing coverage could be
improved, then that's food for thought. Right now, what it seems you
are passing on here is just a lot of indigestion and bad gas.
Anyways, this is kinda dragging on. I just thought I would pitch my
pennies.
I agree, I think a lot of Amiga users don't know about the cutting edge of
the PC and Mac markets. They do have lots of things we don't. Similarly,
most people don't know about the Amiga market, either. So it's the hybrid
magazines that have the best chance of informing people in both markets.
RE: "Compute is a rather unique magazine. It does a reasonable job of
covering several platforms in one magazine."
Dear Jim,
How can you say this when Compute *doesn't* cover several platforms in one
magazine? Have you ever tried subscribing to Compute? There *are* several
options to choose from. A true Compute only subscriber would only read
about IBMs and compatibles.
–>"As such, it offers a good cross section of what is going on to ALL
the various owners of the various platforms."<–
Are you not aware that there are several versions of Compute? Your
statements indicate you aren't.
–>"If your goal here is to 'improve' what you feel is a relatively
lacking bit of Amiga support in that magazine, you really aren't going
about it the right way. If you offered something more than 'it
stinks', with specific examples of how the existing coverage could be
improved, then that's food for thought. Right now, what it seems you
are passing on here is just a lot of indigestion and bad gas."<–
Talk about "indigestion and bad gas". YOW! From your misunderstanding of
the way Compute covers "several platforms in one magazine", I smell
somthing rotten comming from your reply.
– Tom Sawyer
Oh my. You mean Compute tries to give it's target audiences what they want?
Shame on them.
Michael
….from the north coast
Dear Michael,
You have called me a #$%^&?..and said that ignorant is too polite a word
for me. NO PROBLEM!|%^)
I did not get rattled, or upset.
If I said something to you to make you dislike me I'm truly sorry.
I guess I thought I had left enough msg. on CIS forums..for the members of
the Amiga section to know that I don't have nothing personal against
anyone..and that sometimes things I write should not be taken personally.
After all the Sb: was "COMPUTE anger"
Heck..if the truth were known, I happen to like Denny..
– Tom Sawyer
Tom:
Actually I was quite surprised to see the messages you left. The tone of
the thread you started was inappropriate. My replies were directed at those
messages, in the same tone as the messages themselves (since the SysOps
really can't talk like that!)
There's nothing that says you have to like Denny, or me, but I do hope
you'll consider how people will react to personal attacks before you levy
them again. Maybe next time if >>"…the truth were known" from the
outset, you could encourage discussion rather defensiveness.
Regards,
Michael
….from the north coast
Tom,
Geeze…lighten up a bit. You come in here raging about a problem
you have with COMPUTE, and keep raging when others don't necessairly agree
with you.
Personally, I dropped my subscription to COMPUTE many, many years
ago so have no idea of the truth or not of any of the statements made
here…but perhaps the level of discussion could come up a notch or two.
There's nothing wrong with disagreeing with what people say, but
implying that people are lying to you, or that other than Denny, they have
some special interest in COMPUTE makes you come off sounding quite
unreasonable.
As a quick example, lots of people are quite happy in their current
place of employ and aren't interested in other…higher paying…jobs. To
them, money isn't the be all to end all. They value their security and/or
peace of mind more.
Take myself for instance, I wouldn't have left my job for twice the
pay up until last November. Prior to that…I'd have lost my pension.
Now, that my pension is guaranteed, for twice the pay…I might leave…but
for a 10 or 20% raise…I wouldn't leave…I'm too comfortable where I am,
it's worth the 10 or 20% raise to not go.
Anyway…that's just one of the points where you seem to assume
that some folks aren't telling you the truth. Why not just sit back, relax
and try not to be so angry in your answers. You'll probably find the
discussion a lot more enjoyable.
Don
RE:"Anyway…that's just one of the points where you seem to assume that
some folks aren't telling you the truth."
If I have implyed that *anyone* is a liar..I'm sorry.:(
To my recollections I have not done this. If it were taken this way..again
I oppoligize.
My experience on BBSs have been..if you want to stir a ruckus..say
something contoverversial.8)
– Tom Sawyer
Tom,
Yup…you're right…say something controversial and things get
stirred up. And as long as the discussion is calm and level headed…the
messages can be quite interesting.
Don
I can see the humor in the Amy Res April Fool (one month early)
issue of Compute (no more "!" by the way) but I am a bit miffed
(although not as much as you are.) I feel that there are precious
few Amiga pages in Compute already and I'm not crazy about loosing
more pages-per-year. I like the magazine a lot and I wish they were
a seperate book too.
As far as Compute or any magazine convincing an IBM user that
Amiga is great I wouldn't hold my breath. Firstly, it's not their
job to win over the IBM market. It would be nice but it is a pretty
overwhelming task. Besides, that's Commodore's job. (I WISH it were
Denny's job. I'm sure he'd do it better!) Secondly, and most
important, most IBM users wouldn't part with their system for
ANYTHING. You could prove the Amiga is better hardware from now
until the end of time and most won't budge. IBM is simply too
entrenched in the market. Look at it this way, many IBM users that
have the Toaster "workstation" refuse to believe there is an Amiga in
there even though the box is EXACTALLY the same as an A2000 except
for the logo stickers. How are you going to convince someone like
that? They already have an Amiga that has turned their IBM or Mac
into a dumb terminal and they STILL don't believe it. Having Amy Res
in with all issues of Compute will probably honk off all the IBM
users and will demand that they replace the Amiga secion with a
Toaster section <g>.
There's a common misperception that the Amiga Resource is losing
pages each year, and it's not true. The first couple of Amiga
sections were 48 pages, but they've been 32 pages ever since I took
over the section. No longer, no shorter. I'd LOVE to see more
pages… All it would take would be a few more ads (gosh I hate the
reality of economics) per issue to make them bump it up a bit. The
problem is, many of the big game publishers advertise over in the
main section, which means many of the ads that AmigaWorld gets are
taken by the main section of COMPUTE. Unfortunately, all magazines
('cept Consumer Reports) have to base their length on ad content, and
right now that only supports 32 pages.
I hope it goes up to 48 again before long… I have some neat ideas
that are just awaiting pages to put them in!
RE:"There's a common misperception that the Amiga Resource is losing pages
each year, and it's not true."
Dear Denny, This is only true if you say so. The facts are: Amiga
Resource was a stand alone magazine. FACT. Amiga Resource had 48
pages for the first couple of Amiga sections. FACT. Amiga Resource
now is down to 32 pages..FACT. So where is the misperception that
the Amiga Resource is losing pages?
In message 51208 it said "about loosing more pages-per-year". Since Denny
took over, it hasn't lost any pages. FACT.
Steve
Denny:
Can you give me the phone number to call and order a subscription to
Compute? Now that we have PC's in the office, it might be nice to get a PC
magazine to sort of keep up with the new stuff there too, and if I can get
one for free (and it'll help protect my Amiga magazine too), then I'll have
to subscibe to that Amiga magazine!
-Mike Schiller
In sunny Fort Lauderdale
No, you've got it wrong. First off, the PC and Mac Toasters aren't even
being sold yet. Second, isn't it more likely that PC and Mac people simply
*don't care* that it's based on an Amiga? That might upset your local
Amigoid, but it doesn't upset the PC owner. Who is being more rational and
less chauvinist?
INFO magazine used to run an April 1 "Chump" section that made fun of the
C-64, Amiga and CBM. People weren't as upset about that. As for selling
CBM to a toy company, maybe the truth hurts. Nintendo is a toy company,
and I'm sure they'd be much better off with them.
Thanks for the correction. I wasn't aware the PC & Mac versions were
not being sold yet. I have "heard" some conversations here in CI$ that
were discussing the Mac & PC workstations as if they were on the market.
Who is being more rational and less chauvinist? I would guess *I* am
being more rational, again, from info I have gathered here on CI$. My
understanding was that the Mac & PC Toasters were supposed to cost at least
a couple thousand more dollars than if you simply bought an Amiga and
installed the Toaster board. In other words, that extra price for the PC &
Mac goes for some conversion software and the Toaster stickers. Now that
you have told me these versions are not being sold I will reserve comment
until sales and pricing are formally announced. If these Toaster
workstations are much higher priced than an Amiga setup then my opinion
stands as stated. I am HARDLY a computer bigot! I have had MUCH more
experience with IBM computers than the people at work that chuckle at the
fact I own an Amiga.
I'm really not mad about the April Fool issue. I like the "Taking
Sides" column and Denny's editorials. Denny did give us some serious stuff
mixed in with the humor but I do feel I didn't get a real Taking Sides
column. All in all I'm real happy with the Amy Res section and have
supported the magazine via my $ and here on CI$ when the book was brushed
off by some.
They ain't out til they're out, and I've never heard anyone describe the
Mac and PC Toasters correctly. I wrote the PC side of the one they
demonstrated at COMDEX, and I've got the Mac Toaster system installed here
– it's one of three, I think. So I can state with some confidence they're
all wrong. 🙂 The PC and Mac people are not upset that they're paying
for an Amiga to get a Toaster. It's the Amiga users who are upset that the
word "Amiga" has been obliterated from the literature and box. Why? Every
mom-and-pop computer store in the country has "Mom N Pop" stickers on their
PC clones. It's called OEMing. Everyone does it. NewTek was not the first
to do it in the Amiga market, butthey might be the most visible.
Thanks for setting me, and anyone else that was misinformed, straight
about the status of the Mac and PC version. I thought one or the
other was out in some form, again, because of conversations on CI$
plus it received an award for product of the year from Video Review
magazine.
Don't get me wrong. It doesn't matter to me if PC and Mac users want
to spend a couple grand more for a "Toaster System" than they would
for an Amiga & Toaster plug-in card. If they have the money to throw
away that's their business. If they want to walk away from a
computer that suits their needs because of the name then they DESERVE
to pay more for their ignorance. I think you are wrong to compare
that NewTek is doing with the Toaster with the clone market. The IBM
clone market is saying, "We may SAY we are XYZ Computer but it's
really an IBM in there AND we are several times cheaper!" NewTek is
repackaging the Amiga and selling it for MORE money. This isn't what
the IBM clone market is doing at all.
I think you misunderstand me. In my heart I may wish that NewTek would say
that everyone that wants to use a Toaster must buy an Amiga but I can't
blame them for trying to expand their market. If I were NewTek, I'd
probably do the same thing. They don't go out of their way to say the
Toaster System is an Amiga but they don't go out of their way to deny it
either when asked directly.
I realize the PC clone vs Toaster OEMing comparison is a bit apples
'n oranges, but the central point is clear. That's all they're
doing, and OEMs stay in business by "adding value" and then charging
for it. NewTek is not an Amiga dealer – is that the way you want
them to act? Of course, they aren't selling Toaster boxes
exclusively, they *do* support your local Amiga dealer by selling
cards and encouraging custom systems, as well as any other kind of
photo shop, video, consumer electronics store who wants to sell
Toaster boxes. I can't think of another personal computer-based
product that's done that, can you?
If you weren't comparing the Toaster Workstation to the IBM clone market
I'm sorry. I don't have your origional message but that is what it sounded
like at the time.
I understand NewTek is adding value the the Amiga 2X00 it sells. You
understand it too. Will the Mac and IBM owners understand it and will they
understand that they could buy it cheaper if they simply bought an Amiga
and a Toaster card? For the people that don't know there is an Amiga in
that box I feel sorry for them even though they should've done their home
work. For the people that refuse to believe they are using an Amiga I
thing there is a sort of ironic justice that they pay more for their hard
headedness.
Again, I'm not slamming NewTek for trying to increase their market. I
would probably do the same thing if I were them. If apples sell better
than bananas and if I can sell more bananas by calling them apples (while
raising the price) I'd be foolish not to so it.
>>>"The IBM clone market is saying, "We may SAY we are XYZ Computer but
it's really an IBM in there AND we are several times cheaper! This isn't
what the IBM clone market is doing at all. "
That's not what John said… he was reffering to OEM deals. In an OEM
deal, a company purchases an exisiting product and adds their own
functionality to the product, creating a 'new' product taht can be
marketed by a VAR (value-added-reseller). Such products DO command a
premium (deservedly so).
NewTek is not selling an Amiga clone…. they are selling a Value
Added Amiga based video workstation.
See my reply to John. Thanks.
Really?!? Not the first? Who else has produced an Amiga with their
name on the front? (waiting for enlightenment)
There's stand-up arcade games that use Amiga motherboards, Williams
paint shop kiosks that buy m-boards from CBM, an Amiga 500 in a box
that reads PC disks and displays charts and graphics output as video,
and there must be more if I know of that many. Ask CBM.
Thanks, John — though the only one of the above that qualifies as a
PC-clone type of OEM is the 500-in-a-box…
Regards, Whap!penned…
Pat @Oxxi (310) 427-1227
For starters, Amigo Business Computers, Northport, NY. They resell Amigas
in a selfcontained Integrated Public information Kiosk. $6000 & up.
Michael
….from the north coast
Neat!
Regards, Whap!penned…
Pat @Oxxi (310) 427-1227
Pat,
I know of one company selling "solutions" to the banking industry that is
totally Amiga based — yet the name is removed from the box. They don't
want their customers to have a knee jerk reaction to the name if they knew.
I'll not name the company because of the above reason. They are active
forum members and, I'm sure, will speak up if they desire. And yes,
they've been going with the VAR approach far longer than Newtek.
-sja
Nice to know somebody's found a way to make money from their Amigas…
(grin)
Regards, Whap!penned…
Pat @Oxxi (310) 427-1227
One of our club members was telling us today of a company that is using the
Amiga but is not using the Amiga label. The company has developed a real
estate application in some database (I guessed SuperBASE, but he was not
sure.) They had a number of nice features, one being the ability to see
pictures of the house under discussion. I believe he said both inside and
outside views. The real estate dealer told him that he didn't know what
kind of computer it was – that the man had come by and demonstrated what
his system could do, and they bought it. There is a great deal more in the
entire setup, including communications with the local listing service, word
processing and mail labels, and more.
Betty
You're wrong. If you don't like the magazine, if it doesn't fit your
image of what an AMiga magazine should be, then cancel your
subscription and don't buy the publication. That's what I did. Maybe
Compute should tell YOU how to run YOUR business?
RE:"Maybe Compute should tell YOU how to run YOUR business." I never
tried to tell Compute how to run their business. All I did was
comment on my "Compute anger." (go reread my orig. post!) As far as
Compute telling me how to run my business..well I know of an
unemployed chipanzee who I would ask first.
>> "Why is it that all the people who disagree with me are getting paid by
this outfit?" <<
Now you're really being a *&^%$#@. I have no connection with any
Amiga magazine or publication, or an Amiga realted business… and I
was the first to take issue with your comments.
You seem to be able to hear only what you want to hear. BTW, while
folks here have replied to you to disagree with your comments, not
ONE comment has been made in support of your position. I guess you're
'right' and everyone else is 'wrong', eh?
Look Tom, if you want to express your opinion, that's' great, and I
appreciate seeing opinions up here in the forum, but don't state your
opinion as the 'simple truth' and don't' tell someone else what their
motives are. You don't know Denny, you don't know Compute, and you
don't know publishing. Denny replied to you to explain the how's and
why's and you told him was wrong. You are really off base here.
Aw c'mon on, now. The April Fool's joke was clearly revealed in those
columns, and, besides, anyone who could be taken in is probably better
off with a Mac anyway. On the other hand, I do agree that the sheer
amount of the joking about in that one issue bothered me; I was
amused, overall, but would prefer meat on the bones.
It wasn't the April Fool's joke, per se, that bothered me, it was
content, Amiga sold to a toy company. Amiga has been trying to shed
the toy image since its introduction. They could have chosen some
other "buyer" — how about some appliance company who wanted it for
packaging their new 8 slice toaster? — the joke would have still
worked, yet they'd not have perpetuated the toy image. It was
obvious to me that it was a joke so I wasn't misled — I just thought
it was a joke in poor taste.
I just read an article in Computer Monthly (The Amiga Connection)
that raised the question: "Is Amiga Resource even still around?".
hehe… I guess what goes around, comes around.