AmigaWorld Readers!
37 messages in this thread
AmigaWorld readers, we need your input to make sure we're producing the
magazine you want to see. We'd appreciate it if you'd answer the following
questions, and thank you in advance for your ideas.
1. Would you like to see:
A. More articles covering "vertical applications"–that is, video,
multimedia, 3-D modeling/animation, desktop publishing, etc.
B. More broad-based info about the system software and general
applications programs and hardware.
2. Do you think that, as a whole, the information presented in
AmigaWorld:
A. Assumes too much prior knowledge.
B. Is too basic.
C. Is about right.
3. Are there any particular topics you think we cover at too high
or too low a level?
4. If you could choose any feature article(s)–not product review–that
you would like to see in the next few months, what would you choose?
(Some ideas: a detailed tutorial on how to create a 3-D model
realistically resembling a human, a series on how to get the most out of
Workbench 2.0, a piece comparing different types of hard drives, an article
on how the Amiga is being used in the arts, an analysis of
video recording equipment, etc.)
5. Do you think we sould give more emphasis to tips and tutorials or
buying information? Or equal weight to both?
6. Is there an issue that stands out in your mind as being particularly
good? Which was it, and what made it appealing for you?
7. Can you think of an issue you disliked? Which one, and why?
8. To add something to the magazine, we usually need to sacrifice
something else. What would you like to see added to AW (system software
column? programming column? multimedia column?) And what would you give
up?
9. Is there any topic you think AW spends too much time with?
10. Do we pay too little attention to something else?
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INPUT!!! –Barbara Gefvert
Senior Editor, AmigaWorldt
Barbara;
not too much to say except: "Sacrifice" (a) Doug's editorials and (b) all
coverage of games.
Sacrifice Geoffrey Williams too, while you're at it. :^)
–Ben
Ben,
I most respectfully disagree with your request that AW dump all
coverage of games. After all, that's my livelihood! While I'll agree that
the "thrust" of the magazines coverage should not focus on games, they are
still a significant part of many Amiga users' "computer experience", and
should be covered. Games (and gamers) are most definitely NOT second-class
citizens, any more than are afficionados of powerful Image Processing
software.
There are a number of magazines that cater exclusively to gamers, but
they are almost exclusively MS-DOS oriented. Amiga gamers deserve to be
able to read reviews of the Amiga versions of the products in which they're
interested. The fact that "The Perfect General" got very good reviews in
Computer Gaming World and Strategy Plus (which were both based on the
MS-DOS version of the game) should mean less to the Amiga Gamer than the
good reviews that the _Amiga_ version of the game received in AmigaWorld
and its Amazing competition.
The game coverage should stay! It should not, however, dominate the
magazine, as it is only a part of the wide spectrum of the Amiga market.
– BobR
I understand your position – and I sympathize – but I still feel this is
the best thing they can do. If the Amiga remains a game machine, it is
going to DIE. IMHO.
–Ben
Ben,
I never stated that the Amiga is a game machine, only that there are
Amiga users that happen to enjoy playing computer games. You know, there
are quite a few MS-DOS users who also happen to play games, and a lot of
MS-DOS systems that are purchased _solely_ to be used by gamers. The real
problem is that the Amiga has been perceived by the unknowledgable as being
_only_ good for games, which we all know (those of us that are Amiga
literate, at least) is very far from the case.
Hiding the fact that games exist for the Amiga (e.g., by AmigaWorld not
having any game reviews at all) is not going to change this reality one
iota! I'm not a regular reader of AmigaWorld, but based on my limited
perusing of recent issues, I would be hard-pressed to understand how anyone
would end up with the "only a game machine" impression based on a reading
of that magazine with it's current mix of content.
The "game machine" image is _not_ going to be what caused the death of
the Amiga. The lack of any effective marketing will have/has had a role.
The basic entrenchment and dominance of the MessyDOS market will have/has
had a major role. The weakness of the software market (outside of some
selected "niches") will have/has had a major role. Entertainment software
is not the boogie-man.
– BobR
Hear! Hear! I wholeheartedly agree with BobR!!
Michael Quon
I disagree, Bob. I think games ARE the boogie-man. But as I say, you're
entitled to your opinion.
–Ben
Let's see… If we eliminate all the Amigas used for games, we've got an
installed base of about 10-20K. (I'm of course figuring all the productive
Amigas used for games too. I do a LOT of work on the Amiga, but I play
games in my spare time as well…)
I doubt that most strongly, Denny – our sales alone make those figures
absurd.
–Ben
He's probably not all that far from right. Nearly everyone I know who has
an Amiga, whether it's main use is business or graphics or whatnot, has at
least one game for the machine, and most of them play at least that one
game. I even know one person who effectively shuns most games but can't
resist playing Tiles (the original PD release we have somewhere here…)
during lunch. (He's occationally made threats at me for giving him the
game in the first place… <grin>)
I'll bet even *you* have booted at least one game in your Amiga's
lifetime, no? Frankly, even most PC's get used for games at some point or
another. (How many PC programmers can you remember who simply had to have
a copy of the original Microsoft Flight Simulator because it was "a
wonderful torture test for the machine". Of course, you couldn't run it
with those programmer's programs, but it made a good excuse for the
presence of the game on the computer… <grin>)
Admittedly, the Amiga has a perhaps unfair reputation as a games machine,
especially in Europe, but as we're more interested in getting it popular
*here* in the US, I have a wonderful answer to anyone who mentions a game
and because a game runs on the Amiga it makes it a games machine: Bring up
the fact that many of the Amiga games are released *first* on PCs. I
suppose that makes a PC a Games Only Machine, eh?
Enough of this, back to something more productive. (Lets see, shall I
run Black Crypt or Ultima VI… 🙂
–>Steve Bennett
There is not a single game on my Amiga. There might be some on the shelf,
but they are ones I didn't ask for or couldn't turn away without being
impolite. Most in that class I've given away. There – I'm the exception
to your rule. 🙂
John,
It all depends on your definition of "game". My favorite game, and one
that I play least 4 hours a day, 7 days a week, is called SAS/C.
-sja
Well, if AW starts talking as much about SAS C as about Super Nexxus Poly
Blaster IV, things will be great. 🙂
Gee, my favorite is call "AmigaTech" <duck/run/hide>
"This must be Thursday. I never could handle Thursdays."
–Eet–
I've run all kinds of programs; but, like games, most of them see such a
little amount of use, percentage-wise, that I'm not at all interested in
reading about them. I'm interested in solutions for general use of the
machine in business, or productivity. That's what I want to read about, and
that's how I vote. :^)
–Ben
Ben,
Do you think anyone who'd buy ImageMaster wouldn't play games? I'd buy it,
and I enjoy Amiga games. What I'm saying is that probably 85% of the
Amigans I know who use their Amigas for productivity _also_ enjoy an
occasional game.
Sure – in fact I think that a lot of people who buy Imagemaster don't play
games – they have far more productive (and fun!) things they can do.
–Ben
hehe… true. ImageMaster _is_ the best 'game' I have on my Amiga!
Michael
….from the north coast
And that's exactly my point. :^)
–Ben
I whole heartedly agree with your statement that unless the Amiga
can get out from under the stigma of being a "Game Machine" it will die
out. As evidence of this I submit this. I am a member of the ACM and of
their Small Computer SIG, and in a recent issue of the SIGSmall (the small
compter SIG) newsletter is a particular article by W. Morven Gentleman and
MArceli Wein. And I will quote from the article:
"Hobbyist machines (Atari 1040, Amiga 500, etc) have low hardware
prices and these have led to their purchasers to the expectation of low
software prices. As a consequence, these machines are unattractive for
serious commercial software vendors, amd hence the range of third party
products is limited."
But in the eariler paragraph these "experts" list the machines to
be used for software development. These are IBM PC/AT and clones, IBM
PS/2, but their favorite was the Apple MAcintosh preferably from the
Macintosh II family.
Hmmmm, you see I work with a MacII, and I would rather use my Amiga. It is
faster and can do things the Mac cannot. But why do these "experts"
discount the Amiga? Because it is considered a "Game Platform", therefore
it is discarded solely on this fact. We must get the Amiga into the work
place if it is to survive. I beg those companies that mass produce game
programs because "that is where the money is" to get off their duffs and
produce programs to challenge the buisness, scientific, and engineering
worlds. If not the Amiga will not last two more years. All ready
magazines are going out of buisness and IBM and Apple are laughing.
<<<Bruce Powell>>>
Your quote from that article didn't say anything about game-playing. Was
that mentioned in some other part of the article? Do you dispute their
simple statement that people who buy an inexpensive, relatively unpopular
machine expect cheap software? Sure, PCs might be as cheap, but there's
millions more of them. If they were talking about software development,
they're right: Even a niche product on the PC can do a lot better than a
"mainstream" product on a machine such as the Amiga.
Bruce,
I have to agree with that ACM article. People who pay $500 for their
complete system will find it hard to accept paying good money for a
high-powered program. People who have paid $2500 for their system will
accept $200-and-up software much more readily. Most Amigas sold worldwide
are 500s bought by Europeans to play games; relatively few are expensive
2000- and 3000-class machines. The software market for such a computer is
definitely less enticing than the IBM or Mac's. Factor in the small number
of installed Amigas, and the argument holds even more weight.
In summary,
– A small share of machines sold in the US are Amigas.
– Of those, many are underpowered 500s.
– People who buy $500 worth of hardware can hardly be expected to
shell out twice that amount for software.
A quick look around my hard disk and computer room reveals $1830 worth
of software, and that's street mail-order price, not retail. But then
again, I bought a high-powered A3000 with all sorts of peripherals, so it
doesn't look that out of place. It's all relative.
I always cringe when I see a message thread like this develop, but I had
to speak up.
Blaq!
You might be getting your wish. Game companies are no longer paying a lot
of attenton to the US Amiga game market… instead they thnk PC's first,
second and third. Actually, the Amiga is lkely 3rd…
Lou
Lou,
I'm not sure the Amiga is even third anymore. First is most definitely
the MS-DOS platform. Second is probably the MAC, which is percieved as a
growing home market. Third is probably Windows, which _is_ different from
the first category, but can be viewed as encompassing MPC. The Amiga is
more likely fourth, and losing ground fast.
Interestingly enough, at the recent Computer Game Developers Conference
in San Jose, both Apple and Microsoft (in the form of their Multimedia
evangelists) were spending money wining and dining us, actively pursuing
the entertainment software industry into following their particular flavors
of the Holy Grail. As expected, Commodore was no where in sight.
– BobR
Did you consider sending your note, or at least a reworded version of it to
the SIGSmall newsletter? One of the reasons Amiga is considered a "games"
machine is that those who use it let those who should know better that it
is more than a games machine. Yes, we do need more "serious" software, but
it helps to point out that games require more pure processing power than
almost any other personal application.
Bill Roberts in Ellettsville In. via Whap!
Barbara;
How about a series of tutorials on how to use Imagemaster from Black Belt
Systems.
Charlie – A Whapper! from Holland
Oh man… how about a new separate monthly edition of AW…
"The AW Guide to ImageMaster"
Hehe… it'd NEVER be redundant because each month it could cover the six
or more upfrades that had been released, as well as all the new features
added since the last issue! Hmmm… Geoff Williams as senior editor? <g>
Actually… it sure would be nice to have an electronic edition of
something like the above… Ben, you listening? How about authorizing some
user group somewhere to compile and edit such a beast?
Michael
….from the north coast
We've been thinking about several items of that nature for a while. Been
talking to a few authors about books, considering it ourselves, thinking
about a subscription newsletter… lots of possible avenues. Right now,
we're pretty open on this. Certainly there is more than enough to talk
about on a monthly basis for many pages of tutorial and etc. Imagemaster is
easily the fastest growing software in the Amiga market.
We're making some organizational changes here over the next two weeks that
will help us manage things better; two new people have been hired, one
starts monday in the office; she'll help us with the backlog of orders and
lighten up the load on the other girls a bit; the other will provide
full-time technical support without having to tie up Barry, Mike or myself.
We've also added support for Canadian 800-calls and a second 800 line
(rotary off of the first one). It'll be easier to get through and you'll
get better service when you do. All of this will help get us in a position
where providing some kind of subscription publication would be manageable.
We're having some rather sever growing pains, but if you've gotta hurt…
:^)
–Ben
I second that!
Charlie – A Whapper! from Holland
Ben: you could release IM/IP doc as notebook files every hour or so after
each upgrade. I don't run games but I have fun anyway… (sound of tree
falling in forest) I don't read Amigaworld either.
even though I'm solicited for it every quarter or so.
jhhl, not whapping
Notebook files…. hm.
–Ben
I second the Notebook files suggestion. (or third or fourth, by whenever
you read this 🙂
Today must be Tuesday. I never could get the hang of Tuesdays.
I like the idea of IM docs as Notebook files!
Michael
….from the north coast
How about a regular column on public domain software – with detailed
descriptions and screen photos. The current 1/2 page "On Line scan" is just
not enough considering the vast amount of public domain and shareware
software available for the Amiga.
That's a VERY good idea, Richard.
–Ben
I'd find it hard to answer all your questions but I have a comment or two.
In question 4 you throw out a lot of topics and I give them all a healthy
thumbs up. I'd also like some sort of monitor comparison issue. The
articles don't seem to be over or under my head unless it is something of a
very technical nature. I wouldn't mind a guided tour of the innerworkings
or the Amiga including all the chips and their functions. Compare the A3000
with the A2X00 with the A500 with the A1000 and describe the changes in
each inside and out. Tell us if the changes were to add features, cut
costs, improve reliability, all of the above. I'd like to see more answers
to readers questions and more reader opinions with comments from AW. One
last thing. When reviewing software please address compatibility. Does it
work with 1.3 & 2.0? Will it work properly with a 68030 and 68040 chip?
Hard drive installable? Copy protection? Etc.
In response to your survey:
1. I would like to see more broad-based info about the system software and
general applications programs and hardware.
2. At times the information assumes too much prior knowledge.
3. The video applications are covered to an extreme. The personall apps
type programs are covered hardly at all.
4. I would like to see an article on personal home accounting packages;
ie. tax prep programs, personall accounting, database, etc.
5. I would like to see more tips and tutorials.
8. I would like to see more information on PD/Shareware products that are
available on the online services.
9. Personally, I have no interest in the VideoToaster and am sick to death
of hearing about it.
Lee Scoggins From the Heartland of America–Indiana