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HRISTMAS SALES DISAPPOINT<br />
R<br />
reaction from consumers over what<br />
e<br />
was hoped would be a bumper time for<br />
pAmiga<br />
sales. After the many positive<br />
oannouncements<br />
we've had lately from<br />
rAmiga<br />
Technologies, it comes as a blow for<br />
tthe<br />
hopes of a full scale Amiga comeback<br />
s just yet_<br />
f Compatibility problems, SDL's troubles<br />
rand<br />
absence of marketing have all been<br />
blamed for the lack of enthusiasm from<br />
oconsumers.<br />
m<br />
Amigo Computing talked to Dale<br />
rBradford,<br />
General Secretary of the National<br />
eAssociation<br />
of Specialist Computer<br />
tRetailers.<br />
He remarked: "The Amiga didn't<br />
ahave<br />
a good a Christmas as perhaps a lot of<br />
ius<br />
had hoped. It's just so unfortunate that<br />
l they got hit by the incompatibility<br />
pproblems.<br />
I think this scared retailers off<br />
o<br />
because although traditionally they sold a<br />
lot of Amigas, what they don't want is to<br />
i<br />
have problems after Christmas with people<br />
nbringing<br />
back machines saying they want<br />
t refunds:<br />
t We asked him what Amiga Technologies<br />
o should do to get the Amiga back on its feet.<br />
a They must get the retailers stocking them<br />
swith<br />
confidence again and part of that<br />
lwould<br />
be sorting out the incompatibility<br />
o<br />
problem, but also a bit of marketing would<br />
not go amiss either.'<br />
w<br />
However, another problem is that the<br />
Amiga is only available from multiples like<br />
Tandy and Escom. Bradford agree:, if they<br />
could get the independents to stock it and<br />
support it again then that would help a<br />
great deal. That's where they [the Amigasl<br />
1 anuary I i marked the official agreement<br />
a between VISCORP and (scorn AG for the<br />
license for VISCORP to use 'Amiga' technologies<br />
within their set-top TV appliance,<br />
VISCORP's chairman of the board, Jerome<br />
Greenberg commented: "By employing a sophisticated<br />
chip set, such as the Amiga technology, V1SCORP<br />
will have the ability to provide a complex set-top<br />
appliance with multitasking functions to integrate<br />
Christmas sa le s prove d<br />
disappointing for the<br />
Amiga<br />
AMIGA COMPUTING<br />
MARCH 1996<br />
came from originally because none of the<br />
multiples would touch them back in 1986<br />
or 1987, It was the independents who<br />
helped to push them Onto the market<br />
place:<br />
The fact that the Amiga was bought by<br />
Escom is also seen as an obstacle by some<br />
retailers. Bradford said: 'One of the biggest<br />
problems now is that they're owned by<br />
MISCORP TO USE AMIGA TECHNOLOGY<br />
affordably the TV set, phone line and network service<br />
providers_<br />
This ability has not yet been offered or available<br />
through existing systems."<br />
The set-top box will allow the use of the Internet<br />
with access to on-line services like Compuserve or<br />
AOL, bulletin boards, chat programs and Web sites.<br />
This, they intend, can be controlled by a TV remote,<br />
keyboard, microphone or touch sensitive pen, Other<br />
By Tina Hackett<br />
Escom and it may be small-minded but<br />
there are people Out there who are saying<br />
'I'm not going to help increase the profits of<br />
someone who is cutting the arse out of the<br />
PC market':<br />
John Smith, General Manager of Amiga<br />
Technologies offered: "At the end of the<br />
day, if the Amiga had to survive somebody<br />
had to purchase it. We are a totally separate<br />
entity in the way we run. We have to make<br />
our own profits. The Amiga is a great<br />
product and we've brought it back, hence,<br />
now, the move into the surfer pack and I<br />
would hope more independents would take<br />
the view that we all love the Amiga so<br />
much <strong>—</strong> let's get on and sell it. They will<br />
make profit out of it.<br />
Smith admitted SDI's problems did have<br />
an adverse effect on Christmas sales: "It<br />
definitely did effect our sales which was<br />
inevitable as they were our largest<br />
distributor.' He continued: "There's no<br />
doubt about it <strong>—</strong> SDL's demise hurt us, in<br />
the same way that when <strong>Commodore</strong> went<br />
down we hurt SDI.:<br />
Although the actual Amiga didn't sell as<br />
well as hoped, the software on the other<br />
hand did nicely out of the existing Amiga<br />
users who have shown that they are still<br />
there to buy good games when they are<br />
released.<br />
Bradford pointed to the success of some<br />
Amiga publishers and distributors: 'Those<br />
who are still supporting the Amiga are<br />
doing very well, such as Guildhall. I was<br />
also talking to Active Distribution and<br />
they're still shipping a lot of Amiga<br />
software."<br />
plans afoot include enabling users to play games,<br />
carry out home shopping, or access electronic banking.<br />
Greenberg said: 'by utilising our unique set-top<br />
appliance and incorporating the Amiga technology,<br />
MCORP is able to provide a complete practical<br />
solution for interactive TV services, and now the<br />
ability to access the Internet through a standard TV<br />
set with pricing that makes sense for the average<br />
TV viewer."
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