Amiga Computing - Commodore Is Awesome

1
8
said again. The Amiga market has
0 t
itself
has been
in a stranglehold.
said before. It
No-one
will be
. _ else 15 killing our machine but the
users, companies, and publishers that are
supposed to be supporting it.
We all think the software bundle that
accompanies every Amiga these days is the
best yet, a smashing set of products, but the
only problem with giving away all this nice
software is that it reduces the chances that
anyone will bother to buy anything else. If
you supply a machine with everything its
owner is likely to need, where's their
incentive to go and spend some more
money'?
Sony themselves said that they purposely
didn't bundle any software with their
PlayStation console for the specific reason of
getting people to fork out more cash for
something to play on it. And everyone knows
that in the console game, software is where
the money is made_ Perhaps future bundles
should concentrate more on shareware
products or ones that definitely don't fulfill
the potential of the machine. This might also
cost a lot less for AT than market leaders
would, thus saving some cash for R&D or
perhaps adding in a larger hard drive.
RIPPED OFF
Magazine publishers are as much at fault
with a seemingly endless stream of full product
coverdisks that will soon dry up as publishers
realise they will get no further revenue
from sales to end users. This approach
also alienates the end users who have paid
good money for a product, only to find it for
free on the front of a magazine six months
down the line.Now I don't subscribe to the
theory that these people have been ripped
off - they've had six months of usage out of
that program, they have proper documentation
and (possibly) support and a firm
upgrade path - but there are those that do.
We at Amigo Computing have pretty much
(only pretty much) given up on the idea of
selling our souls for a quick buck as we have
realised that the demise of the Amiga market
can only be accelerated by such behaviour,
and we are concentrating on offering our
readers the best demos of new products or
registered shareware which actually helps
the Amiga community, or even our collection
The II( team
MANAGING EDITOR Paul Austin CIRCULATION DIRECTOR David Wren
EDITOR
ART EDITOR
Ben Vest
Tym Leckey
COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR Denise Wright
NEWS EDITOR Tina Hackett DISTRIBUTION CONAG (0189S) 444055
COVERDISK EDITOR
PRODUCTION EDITOR
Neil Mohr
Judith Chapman
SUBSCRIPTION 0151-1512961
GAMES EDITOR
STAFF WRITERS
The Ha(kett
Andrew Maddock
Meriner ol the Audit Bureau ol Circulauom
ADVERTISING MANAGER
Dave Cmick
Lisa Bracewell
ABC 27,871
AD SALES
AD SALES
Jane Normington
Sue HoneReid
jall-Ple 1995
AD PRODUCTION Barbara Newe
Published by 1DG Medi, Media House, AdIngton Park,
MARKETING MANAGER
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Jl
Steve Tante
Sandra Childs
Maccksfield SKI° 4NP
Tel 01625 8110188 • Il)( 01625 B50652
SYSTEMS MANAGER David Stewart EMal contacts
•
1
ourselves
of utilities from Aminet and elsewhere. After
all, some blame must be laid at the publishers'
doors for entering into the deal with the
magazines for their products anyway.
If they were more willing to create demos
of their products rather than simply dump
out old versions, readers could get a look at
new software and then, and here's the
secret, go out and buy it._ ...provided, of
course, they can still find someone who sells
Amiga software_ Retailers are never happy to
see something they have in stock appearing
on The front of the magazine because it
means they have wasted money on stock
that is never going to be sold - perhaps this
is another reason there are so few dealers
Entona editigaccrop demoncouk
Advertising ads@acomp derroncouk ro
CHAIRMAN Richard Hease
MANAGING DIRECTOR Ian Bloonsield
We regret Amiga Computing cannot offer technic21
help on a personal basis either by telephone or in
wilting. All reader enquries should be submitted to
the address in this panel for possible publication.
Amiga Computing is an independent publoation arid
Amigo Technologies GmbH are nor respoostie for or/
of the amides in this issue or for any of the
clarions expressed
©1996 IDG Media No material may be
reproduced in whole or in part without written
permission. While every care is taken the
publishers cannot be held legally reponsible for any
errors in articles. listings or advertisements
All prices listed In the editorial content of this
magazine are inclusive of VAT unless stated
AMIGA COMPUTING
MAY 1926
1 Does bundling
software or
putting it on
coverdisks kill
the market? Ben
I Vost thinks so
willing to stock Amiga software any more.
I'm not asking anyone to boycott magazines
that put full software on their covers,
that would be unrealistic. But unless something
changes in the very near future, there
won't be any more programs to put on
coverdisks because the publishers will have
gone down the pan, the users will have sold
their Amigas, and AT will be left holding
stock of thousands of unwanted Amigas for
which there is no market, lust thought you
ought to know... izq
Ben Vost
Editor
IDG
mEnIA
For six years Amigo Camputmg has been the leading
magazine for Amiga enthusiasm Ai a key member
of the IDG communications group. Amigo
Cornpating promises to inform, educate and
entertain its readers each month with the most
dedicated coverage of the Amiga available.
12 issue arawiption 144.91 OA, (6919 ItEC)
Ongoing quarterly direct debit Li Olt (LIK only)
Printed and bound by Duncan Webb °Mita
IkAaidslonel Lid