Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.applications
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From: sdl@lyra.mitre.org (Steven D. Litvintchouk)
Subject: Re: General Complaints About Amiga Applications
In-Reply-To: tcapener@watserv1.waterloo.edu's message of Fri, 28 Jun 1991 16:08:13 GMT
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References: <phil.7996@phd.UUCP> <1991Jun28.160813.11224@watserv1.waterloo.edu>
Date: 30 Jun 91 13:17:15
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In article <1991Jun28.160813.11224@watserv1.waterloo.edu> tcapener@watserv1.waterloo.edu (CAPENER TD - ENGLISH ) writes:

> Finally, I was not pointing out my own situation exclusively.  The industry
> (Amiga industry) as a whole needs a good dose of standardization (IMHO) and
> that was what I was getting at.  You wonder why the market doesn't take
> the Amiga seriously?  Part of it is the ignorance we all say it is, but more
> importantly, (IMHO) is that the Amiga market just isn't serious.  

You're right about that, but the lack of standardized interfaces isn't
the main symptom of this.

> A lot of
> applications programmers are off following their own drummer, convinced that
> their own particular view of the world is best, writing programs with
> ideosyncratic interfaces and ignoring system conventions like the clipboard.

Many, perhaps most, IBM PC software had idiosyncratic interfaces (and
no cut/paste across applications) prior to windowing systems like
Microsoft Windows.  Even now these applications aren't as standardized
as those on the Mac.  Yet IBM PC's outsell Macs and Amigas by wide
margins.  

The "seriousness" of IBM PC software is due to three things:

1.  Availability of IBM PC clones, so that you can buy PC software and
shop for computers by price.

2.  Attention to the quality that business people want.  This includes
easy to follow installation instructions, training courses (especially
important for secretaries and clerical people who aren't programmers),
etc.

3.  A dealer network that knows how to cater to the needs of business.
This means segregating the kids with the arcade games away from areas
where serious discussions about business needs can take place with
business executives who are potential customers.  It also means
dealers that are fluent in business needs: networking, databases,
laser printers, film recorders, etc.  While some (not all) Amiga
dealers are familiar with video technology, they usually aren't
familiar with these other things that make up a complete solution.

4.  Supporting the Amiga in a PC-dominated (or Mac-dominated)
environment.  This means networking, software filters that can convert
between Microsoft Word/Mac and ProWrite/Amiga, converting among
PageMaker and Professional Page, etc.  (I've given up hope that we'll
ever see Microsoft Word itself ported to the Amiga.)


--
Steven Litvintchouk
MITRE Corporation
Burlington Road
Bedford, MA  01730

Fone:  (617)271-7753
ARPA:  sdl@mitre-bedford.arpa
UUCP:  ...{att,decvax,genrad,ll-xn,philabs,utzoo}!linus!sdl

	"Those who will be able to conquer software will be able to
	 conquer the world."  -- Tadahiro Sekimoto, president, NEC Corp.
