Conference hydra::amiga_v1

Re: .0

The offer is also being sent to any member of a Commodore related user
group.  They got my name for the Boston Computer Society.

The flier was obviously targeted to getting Commodore 64 and 128 owners
into the Amiga fold.  They had a testimonial from some guy that worked
for some software house saying all 64 and 128 owners should run out and
buy Amigas.

By the way, the installed base of 64/128s is 10 million.  If Commodore
is successful in getting those folks to pitch their 64s into the river
and buying Amigas ....

    re: .1  10 Million 64/128s??  Floating down a river?  Or do they
    weigh too much to float?
    
    I thought the traditional solution is to turn old computers into planters
    or doorstops.  I prefer the family heirloom approach, save them
    to show future generations what the semi-dark days of computing
    were all about.
    
    -dave

    re.: .2	...except now our obsolete computers have some utility;
    I wouldn't mind having my old C64 system as a home heating/alarm
    control system.
    John

Re: .2

Gosh, I never considered the environmental impact.  Rivers clogged,
overflowing their banks, flooding the country side...

Perhaps salt mines or other stable geological formations can be used
to store those Commodore 64s and 128s.

    RE: .4
    
    :-)
    
    Not in my state. Ship 'em to NJ or Washington. Bad enough we have
    to consider someplace in MA. to bury Boston's sludge.
    
    Hey I got an idea, rent a barge. yea that the ticket. Ship
    them to Louisiana or Mexico.... 
    
     

    I have heard of going down a rat hole, but this is garbage, if you
    ask me, which you are not.  
    
    On a more serious note, could someone tell me if there is a So.
    NH computer club I can join to take advantage of this "deal."  I
    do not want to join BCS, but will if I have to and if there is convenient
    way to do so without travelling to Boston (yech!).
                             
    "Thank you, for your support."
    
    Bruce-who-is-looking-to-become-an-amigafile-in-the-very-near-future

Let's talk about the deal being offered by Commodore. According to Don
at Mem Loc, you present a "coupon" and they will sell you either of the 
following two packages when you buy an AMIGA 500 for $699.

For the $699 you get the basic AMIGA 500 with 512K and a mouse. Toot Fini.
No extra memory, no external floppy disk drive, no monitor.
Basic Amiga 500 at Abel Supply goes for $516.18.

Package A is sold for $99 and includes:

    Software Description		List $	 	Abel $	
    --------------------		------		------
    Deluxe Paint II			130.00		 79.02
    PageSetter				149.95		 86.32
    TextCraft				 99.95		 28.32
    Animator (which? assuming Aegis)	139.95		 80.56
    Marble Madness			 50.00		 30.39
    EPYX 500XJ Joystick			 19.95		 13.78
    					------		------
    				Totals	589.80		318.39

Package A from Memory Location: 699.00 +  99.00 = $798
Package A from Abel Supply:     516.18 + 318.39 = $834.57
				Total Savings   =   46.57

Is it a good deal?  It depends upon how much you REALLY are going to use
from that package.

Package B is sold for $199 and includes:

    Software Description		List $	 	Abel $	
    --------------------		------		------
    Word Perfect			395.00		179.39
    PageSetter Deluxe			149.95+		 86.32+
    SuperBase				149.95		 86.32
    DIGA!				 79.95		 46.03
    Maxiplan 500			200.00		117.99
    Deluxe Video			130.00		 79.02
    CliMate				 39.95		 23.00
    					------		------
    			TOTALS	       1144.80+		618.07+

Package B from Abel is 516.18 + 618.07+ = $1134.25+
Package B from ML   is 699.00 + 199.00  = $ 898.00
			Total Savings	= $ 236.25
			Probable Savings~ $ 185
		(Remember, PS Deluxe is probably more so savings is less)

This is a little better savings, and again do you really want all or even
a large portion of the S/W in the package?  If not...

FYI, Bruce                                

Re: .7

I think that the deal is still quite impressive.  Although you are
quite right: a customer of Abel supply may not end up paying much
more even without the Commodore coupon.

I think a good part of the lack of a large savings compared to
Abel is simply that Abel Supply is the most phenomenal mail order
house I have ever heard of.  There discount is the highest I have
ever seen on any type of computer equipment from any retailer (mail
order or local).  For example, Abel plans on selling Amiga 2000s for
$1368 instead of $2000.

I think that the Commodore deal brings to the normal retail market
prices way below mailorder is very significant.

By the way, the deal doesn't include TextCraft, but TextCraft plus.
TextCraft plus is a supposedly major enhancement that has recently
been released and sells for $110.  The TextCraft being sold by Abel
for $28 is I believe the old TextCraft.

    Please pardon my faux psa. PageSetter Deluxe would cost more
    so the Packagfe B deal is better not worse.

    re: .7
    
    The biggest hassle with a new system is the lack of software.  You
    have no idea what is good, what is junk, etc.  All you know is that
    the software is expensive.  The $99 and $199 packages are overkill
    for basic needs, but will give you a useful system when you take
    it home.  Nice move by CBM, I wonder how folks offering competing
    wordprocessors, etc., feel about being undercut by CBM.  It all depends
    on if you believe CBM put good software in the package, instead of junk
    they wanted to get rid of.  I know i'd have a tough time justifying
    calling Abel for approx. $600 of software even now.  $99 would be much
    easier to justify, particularly when it is just tacked on to the
    bill for the system.  The dealer loses out on the potential sale
    of $500 worth of software, but may benefit from the rapid sale
    of memory, floppy, and monitor when the customer tries to use
    the software.
    
    Looks like CBM is trying to strengthen the retail dealers - the
    demoing, hand holding, and local support, plus this deal can
    easily justify the price difference to many potential customers.
    I suspect there will be lots of variants of this kind of stuff
    the closer we get to Christmas, both from CBM and local dealers.
    The IDCMP BBS in Norwood, MA has, i think, a 15% discount on A500s
    ordered thru them.
    
    -Dave

Are there any more of these coupons floating around???

I just purchased an Amiga and would do *almost anything* to get my hands on
one!!!

John

    I gave up on this a while ago but if there is a way, I'd also be
    interested. I got my Amanda 500 a couple months ago and would
    appreciate any info! Not quite as willing as .11 though :^)
    
    Tom