#Is anyone happy?
3 messages in this thread
Fascinating thread, folks. While I know that many of you Flyer-owners are
anxious and suffering, I appreciate that you are taking the time to share your
woes, thoughts, laments, etc. on CIS. I, who own an A2000 Toaster and am very
interested in the future of Newtek, have learned a lot. I'm sure many others
have as well.
One thought, if I may. It seems to me that a cardinal rule of technology
acquisition is being exposed here, which is that the cost-effective place to be
as a purchaser is not on the bleeding edge (no matter what the track record of
the company), but rather a few waves behind that where there is PROVEN
technology (i.e. techology that you just know you can get your money back on,
because it works and there's a market for what it does).
I bought a Toaster in '94 — used, set-up, debugged and totally working —
because it was awesome, affordable and I had a use for it. I benefitted hugely
from the learning curves, input and pains of folks like you, who jump in on the
bleeding edge.
Guys like me, and Mike too I'm guessing, will jump in on the Flyer version 5.x
or later, IF AND WHEN IT PROVES ITSELF. We'll miss out on all the thrills of
being first, on all the learning from debugging it, on ushering in the new
process and look it affords, but in all likelihood we'll get our money's worth.
I'm a proven technology buyer because I don't have $10,000 to risk of either my
own or somebody else's money. But I do have $10,000, and even $25,000 to
INVEST in something that will give me a virtually guaranteed return.
I assume folks who do like the bleeding edge enjoy the process of debugging,
risking, being groundbreaking, AND have the money to risk to be there.
Otherwise, I guess you get burned once and get out.
As for the way Newtek should finance their new technology, that's a whole other
and interesting question. Would be nice if they could use all those profits
they rack up from the many folks like me who buy their winners, to finance
their next bet. Wish Amiga had done the same with more success.
Thanks for the thread, and sincerely hope you all come out winners betting
early on the Flyer.
–David
"I assume folks who do like the bleeding edge enjoy the process of debugging,
risking, being groundbreaking, AND have the money to risk to be there.
Otherwise, I guess you get burned once and get out."
David:
Buying into anything new always involves a degree of risk. But the risk is
largely under the control of the manufacturer who can choose when to release
the product and/or technology to the market.
Microsoft, just for the sake of an example, is taking extra pains to release
as bug-free a product as possible with Win95, even to the extent of taking a
real pounding from the press and the public.
NewTek made buying in early attractive by offering substantial discounts.
But NewTek also made a lot of promises as to what the Flyer technology would
do *upon release*. They added an early caveat with 3.994 saying it wouldn't do
everything they had promised, but 4.0 would.
The reality I think is pretty clear: NewTek released the product long before
it was ready, probably because they needed the cash. You can take a lot of
complaining if you've got the cash in the bank. The gamble for them is that
they will be able to whip the Flyer into usable shape before market resentment
rises to the point where they are facing a potentially devestating lawsuit(s).
(I personally think they're really vulnerable on the drive and card issues and
could be successfully attacked, even though they might be invulnerable on some
other issues because of the shrinkwrap laws. I suspect as well that internal
documents would support a contention that NewTek knew the product wasn't ready
for market, but that they needed the cash and sold it anyway. That's a
definition of civil, if not criminal, fraud as well as opening a host of
deceptive practices allegations.)
I think most of us, though, are a long way from attacking NewTek and really
just want to see them justify our faith by making the Flyer a great, usable
product. At least that's what we're hoping for.
In the interim, we're all sharing, trying to work through the hassles – but I
don't think anyone expected this many problems, bugs and shortcomings.
Jerry
>>> In the interim, we're all sharing, trying to work through the hassles –
but I don't think anyone expected this many problems, bugs and
shortcomings.>>>>
Jerry,
I think that really sums it up for all of us.
Fred