Two thoughts and a re-post:
Regarding CompUSA, major retailers, particularly catalogue house have very interesting relations with the companies whose products they sell. Payments by hardware manufacturers and software publishers to major retailers are de riguer. A look at the books of cataloguers will likely find more revenues from ads than from product sales. Mac systems, while apparently more expensive make a lot of "optional equipment" standard; hi fi sound, SCSI, integrated hardware/software etc. that CompUSA would otherwise sell separately. Also, the very popular PowerBooks just haven't existed.
Regarding corporate sales, (also see MacWay post below) while I'm not that knowledgeable about it, it would seem that most corporate computing requirements are fairly one-dimensional and would not reward the "excess" functionality of the MacOS.
soup
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Date: Thu, 10 Oct 1996 03:23:52 -0400
From: MacWay@aol.com
Subject: Followup to "Open Letter to CIOs"
Message-ID: <961010032351_206788923@emout09.mail.aol.com>
Keyword: Advocacy, Guerilla Tactics
>From an EvangeLista who wishes to remain anonymous.
I just read your Article #8 --- Aug 30, 1996 -- (C) 1996, John
Martellaro, "An Open Letter to CIOs", and realized immediately that this
was in fact the truth never told. It is the story of my life.
In 1984, I introduced four Macs-(128k) into my Engineering Department at
xxxx Bell Telephone Company. They were set alongside a few existing IBM
PC,s and DEC Rainbow's. My staff swarmed over the new technology like
flies on a fresh roadkill. These creative folks would take them home
nearly every weekend and soon the PC's had turned into boat anchors, much
to the chagrin of our MIS experts.
I loved the user experience and pioneered the use of Mac's in xxxx Bell
and later throughout the xxxx Region. I risked much on my vision of
empowered staff, collaborating on assignments, concentrating on the work
at hand and not the "geeky bits & bytes" of the technology. Here was a
computer that normal creative people could use without first spending
weeks with computer manuals. The world was good. I was receiving huge
raises and excellent performance reviews due to the fact that my
department's results had soared.
I elevated Macintosh technology to the platform of choice for the
corporations executives and officers. After about 5,000 units had been
deployed across the region, we got new "enlightened" MIS leadership along
with a new CEO. They ultimately decided to become a one-platform
corporation and with a corporate downsizing just being planned, didn't
need me or any ardent Mac users.
In retrospect, they got rid of almost all of the creative visionary types
in this downsizing process. Their message to the masses..."Think what we
tell you or be gone." They were not interested in anyone who had ANY
vision, much less a vision that differed from the CIO's. BTW, you might
be wondering where the CIO got his vision. The CIO and his cohorts were
frequently wined and dined by I*M, Microsxxt and other large vendors.
Sailing excursions, cruises, trips to Europe, sporting events, golf
outings, Broadway shows, free lifetime use of the latest technology in
the office and at home, you name it they got it. The "dark side" of
corporate politics had won. Creative employees lost, customers lost,
shareholders lost, everyone but the executives and "chosen" vendors lost.
I was glad to have been one of those who made a difference. I am happy to
be able to think for myself and use the platform of my choice. A platform
that complements and expands my abilities. A platform that inspires me to
be my best.
What have I learned? It is increasingly difficult to be creative or
visionary in large corporate, or governmental agencies. Leaders in these
environments (I use the term loosely) appear to want to keep the status
quo. Their mission statement..."Don't make waves, don't do anything that
garners attention. Keep your department from disappearing by deploying
technology that requires large investments in staff." This is not an
environment where you will find me.
Thank you for your insightful article. It was right on the mark.
________________
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