XPost: comp.sys.cbm, rec.games.video.classic   
   From: wildstar128@hotmail.com   
      
   jt, no.   
      
   The fancy projects get cost reduced and is less than what the project may   
   have been.   
   Amiga was an exception but it failed to capture and harness market success.   
   Even with advertisment, the price would be a factor and prevent the kind of   
   sales the C64 had.   
      
   Apple I was certainly an exception but over time and through upgrading the   
   unit and consolidating components to use less components - it got better and   
   sold better.   
      
   Projects don't become product unless A) cost is reduced and B) Features are   
   reduced or re-engineered in such a way that it reduced cost and thusly   
   reduced cost. C) All the above until the price is affordable to average   
   people.   
      
   The lower the price something is and the more you put into it, the more   
   people would be inclined to buy it. Price relates to affordability. When   
   people don't have much money which the majority of the world population is,   
   then you can't buy a fancy computer that only the rich can afford. Also   
   people won't be trying to save money for a year to be able to buy it.   
   Especially, if they hardly known they really need it. That was especially   
   true in the 80s. Computers was questioned. People questioned, "Why do I need   
   to buy a computer?". "What can I do with this contraption that will benefit   
   me?"   
      
   The funny thing is with projects, it gets featuritis and feature after   
   feature is put in. All of which will ultimately raise the cost of the unit.   
   When a computer would be $1200 (eq. $2400-2600 today), it was kind of   
   difficult for people to buy and limited your marketplace.   
      
   A computer that was comparable at $300 was certainly more interesting to   
   people to buy. It didn't need 8 expansion slots and all that. That was   
   Jack's vision to take an aggressive stake in the computer market and get   
   volume of customers not fanciness of computers. Commodore didn't care about   
   trying to produce the geeks "wet-dream" computers. He was interested in   
   selling a product that was usable, functionable and affordable so they can   
   sell and sell in volume.   
      
      
      
   "jt august"  wrote in message   
   news:starsabre-C7AECE.02153810112007@inetnews.worldnet.att.net...   
   > In article ,   
   > "Wildstar"  wrote:   
   >   
   >> If you allow the engineers to   
   >> have free reign, they'll make fancy "projects" not products.   
   >   
   > How many successful products in the world today started out as "fancy   
   > projects?"  And incredibly high number.  The fancy projects that show   
   > marketing promise are the ones that ultimately become products.   
   >   
   > jt   
      
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