#CBM posts earnings!!
6 messages in this thread
Dear Bill,
I just happened to notice your comments reguarding your disatisfaction
with Computer Shopper's lack of coverage of the Amiga at COMDEX. As
an avid Amiga lover myself, let me state that I TOTALLY agree with you.
However, since I am also Technical Editor of the magazine, and probably
one of John Anderson's closest associates, let me assure you that Mr.
Anderson did not deliberately leave out Amiga coverage at COMDEX because
of some personal vendetta. John spent HOURS at the Commodore booth and
came back with MUCH renewed respect for both the Amiga and Commodore.
While John is currently in charge of most Atari ST project in house here
at Computer Shopper, he also finds time to keep abreast of Amiga
developments and (as you will see in our October issue) is constantly
working with other computers as well.
The ommisions of Amiga material in the COMDEX Spring coverage that's
in the August issue were…shall we say directed from higher management.
John, while having some latitude in his reporting, is also under some
constraint. So, don't assume this was a deliberate attempt on John's part.
(to sabotage the Amiga). It wasn't. If you are unhappy about the coverage,
by all means DO complain. But be specific about the complaints, and direct
suggestions about how the coverage can be improved as well. Thanks for the
feedback!
Ted,
Are you saying that someone in management (or whatever) at Computer
Shopper ordered NO coverage of the Amiga (and/or CBM products)?
If so, how can Computer Shopper possibly consider itself to be of value
to anyone looking for coverage of computer related subjects…since they
apparently "censor" articles?
If I'm wrong in the way I read your message…please let me know.
Don
Don,
Since we have 280,000 + readers purchasing our magazine every month
(and growing) I find it hard to admit that a FEW of them can't find
SOMETHING of value in our magazine. Anyway, the point that I was making
is that I know John didn't deliberately slight the Amiga by not covering
it at COMDEX. I think he was assuming we would cover that separately
in our Amiga section, which we apparently did not do. The thing to do
is to complain to our editor, Stan Veit, since he has the final say
in deciding what will run and what won't. I'm sure the lack of Amiga
coverage wasn't deliberate, considering we have a large Amiga section
every month, and it will be featured in about 3 of our lead sections
before the end of the year.
Ted,
Oh…I'm sure they all find something of interest to them, that wasn't
my point. The way I read your message…it said higher management had made the
decision not to include John's coverage of the Amiga in the magazine.
News that is 6 months old is not news, and covering Amiga goings on at
Comdex in "upcomming issues" is not proper reporting…plain and simple.
My point is that by censoring what is and what isn't reported is doing
your reader's a great dis-service. I realize that space considerations must be
made, and there are alot of different types of computers out there and it would
be impossible to report on them all in each issue. But a major show should at
least be reported fully…all the attendies offerings should at least be
mentioned. CBM certainly isn't #1, but they are a major company and the Amiga
is their top of the line right now and it certainly deserved at least equal
mention with the Atari line.
Yes…I know, you're not the editor…but you're here and "handy" so
please don't take this personaly…it's not intended that way.
Again…if I mis-read your original message on this subject, please let
me know.
Don
Ted,
My comment was specific to the point of Comdex coverage. Why should the
Amiga not be included in that. I don't know who made the decision but it was
the wrong one and quite misleading. The title of the article was: Spring
Comdex 87: THE SAME, ONLY MORE SO. That is absolutely NOT TRUE!! JOHN!!
wrote the article and HE!! commented that there was nothing new other than
more clones and so on….He is still to blame for false information.
I still remember the first days when your editor was raving that CS has an
Atari ST column and not an Amiga. Every issue was of the type, ST's will take
the world by storm. Well they didn't. Now you do support the Amiga but with
no beef. *** Suggestions starting ****
You have this Bobo character that is at least 6 months to a year late in all
Amiga stuff. In every issue I read both the ST and Amiga columns. The ST
columns (to the credit of their editors) leave me with a feeling that nothing
is wrong with the ST its hardware and software and that it is the best
computer by leaps and bounds. I then read the Amiga columns (mostly Bobos
that is, he writes most 95% of it) and all I get is that the Amiga must have
the most buggy software there is and because of the hardware you can't do
this or that and so on. So either change the writer or have your ST writers
give him some pointers on how to write about the Amiga. Also with the
September issue you started this new column 'Classic Computers'. In the Atari
part of it I get all this euphoria about the Atari and the ST and the future.
Remember this is suppose to be the ATARI column (they make most of their
money from their 8 bits and game machines, but you spend 99% of the article
about the ST). In the Commodore part of the article, (Commodore makes all
their money from the Amiga and the 64/128. No 2600 game units here), Cheryl
(Cheryl I know you are listening) talks about CPM and the 128. If the ST part
has NEWS and RUMORS I can fill 10 columns with news and rumors about the
Amiga. Cheryl's article should have been in the MAIN Commodore section. I
think your Editor Stan Veit, s**ks lemons if he is the one responsible for
all this sidetracking!!! Tell him I said so. See also that he gets a copy of
this message. (Same for John Anderson).
<Continued…..>
Believe it or not I read every single magazine for the ST just to look at the
competition, and the ST columns in CS either are on the same time frame or
AHEAD of it. After I read the August issue and the review (what review
really, John Anderson and the ST had the whole issue to themselves) about
CAD-3D, I had the false feeling that the ST was the better computer for video
and solid modeling applications. In the same issue, Bobo (what a name!!), was
talking about Deluxe video (not even V1.2, he just mentioned the forthcoming
upgrade, that has been here for 6 months) and its bugs and shortcomings. On
the other hand John didn't find ANYTHING wrong with the CAD-3D package. I
mean I really felt I should go out and buy both the ST and CAD-3D. So
second suggestion: Give Bobo up to date material to review.
90% of the reviews are for games. The reader gets the impression that the
Amiga is this great game machine. The Amiga is the ONLY TRUE-MULTITASKING
machine on the market today (no flames about Cocos please) and IBM ,Apple and
the rest of the world are trying to catch up. What about an article in
multitasking where the Amiga is mentioned more than 90% with also references
to the upcoming OS/2, UNIX, and apple. But please, don't give it to Bobo. Put
someone more technically inclined for that article. Bobo reminds me of a
little kid that can't wait to get his hands to the next game. He went to CES
and started talking about all the great games he saw. If you want to prove
your claim about John Anderson, make him write that article or at least get
him to write something good about the Amiga. I liked you review about Aegis
Draw Plus but THAT!! should have been into the headlines. I really don't know
why people hate so much the Amiga. I guess I would hate my neighbor too if
we had both just bought new cars and he got a Mercedes for the same price
that I bought my toyota. Anyway, WRITE MORE TED! I like your style.
Last but not least, there is no excuse for not printing the TRUTH!! and there
was NO!! EXCUSE!! for the AMIGA excluded from the Comdex article.