Nick,
First, at Truespec, we don't do cheap motherboard/cpu combos. Our stuff is mission critical and so we build systems with the best parts with the highest reliability. So wwhat a motherboard costs at Fry's is a meaningless discussion for us.
Second, you cannot "just" swap out the motherboard on a P3 and make it a P4. Everything has changed, from the motherboard to the processor to the RAM, and the kind of RAM depending on the motherboard/cpu selected, and now, even the kind of RAM. The BIOS has changed, and the IRQ concept under XP has changed some from 98SE. So the bottom line, is that to upgrade, the customer can keep his case and maybe his power supply. And depending on how old the system is he's upgrading, he may even have to buy brand new hard drives.
Third, maybe you and a few others who are more technically driven like building systems, but most don't, especially those writing and producing full time, like our customers. . So if you're going to create an R&D marketing plan for a totally new product, you had better decide TODAY how backwards compatible it's going to be. There are pros in LA making money with Gigastudio on PIIs.
Fourth, did you see the AMD study results I posted at Northern Sounds? The study clearly found that people WORLDWIDE were HOLDING BACK on technology purchases because of language issues. It was too complicated and not simply stated enough so they could understand it enough to make a purchase.
If people are holding back because of language/comprehension issues, do you think they're going to suddenly run out to Fry's and update their computer by themselves?
Even with synths, the number 1 concern is that the customer will spend too much time learning the equipment and not making music. This is a universal concern.
Now we have MIR coming. Here are three features as listed in the release:
a. Highly specialized impulses in up to seven direction, horizontally and vertically
b. several hundred user applicable impulse-responses for each room, according to instrument and position
c. intuitive graphic Interface
Read these three sentences in light of the fact that most people use the presets on a reverb unit because they don't understand how to program reverb, nor have they spent the hundreds of hours required over time to develop an ear for programming reverb.
In Synthland, we now we have physical modeling. Let's see, that means we have FM, analog, additive synthesis, and physical modeling.
Are you getting it yet? Technology has gone WAY beyond the purchasers, and they're not buying the way they could be if things were simpler.
Just because someone owns GS doesn't mean they're a computer maven or geekhead who loves to build systems. And yet, the first person to be "attacked" by the Mavens are those who don't want to build their own system. On Northern Sounds, one of our esteemed colleagues said that a person who wasn't willing to build their own computer was lazy!
Well! Let's really beat down potential customers! So not only are they lazy (in the Opinion of the Mavens) but according to 99% of all retail music stores, they're also MIDI Idiots!
Read the subscriber stats for EM. Male, 25-54, working professionals, buying VSL to fulfill their music creation desires, limited free time. If they have Giga on an older machine, you expect them to run down to Fry's and start upgrading because it's so cheap? You want they should take away from their music and run to a 2000 page Windows book when they'd be better off putting their nose into a Ravel score?
FIfth, when I make such suggestions it's certainly not to help me sell more computer systems, because I can't make and sell a PIII-600!
First, at Truespec, we don't do cheap motherboard/cpu combos. Our stuff is mission critical and so we build systems with the best parts with the highest reliability. So wwhat a motherboard costs at Fry's is a meaningless discussion for us.
Second, you cannot "just" swap out the motherboard on a P3 and make it a P4. Everything has changed, from the motherboard to the processor to the RAM, and the kind of RAM depending on the motherboard/cpu selected, and now, even the kind of RAM. The BIOS has changed, and the IRQ concept under XP has changed some from 98SE. So the bottom line, is that to upgrade, the customer can keep his case and maybe his power supply. And depending on how old the system is he's upgrading, he may even have to buy brand new hard drives.
Third, maybe you and a few others who are more technically driven like building systems, but most don't, especially those writing and producing full time, like our customers. . So if you're going to create an R&D marketing plan for a totally new product, you had better decide TODAY how backwards compatible it's going to be. There are pros in LA making money with Gigastudio on PIIs.
Fourth, did you see the AMD study results I posted at Northern Sounds? The study clearly found that people WORLDWIDE were HOLDING BACK on technology purchases because of language issues. It was too complicated and not simply stated enough so they could understand it enough to make a purchase.
If people are holding back because of language/comprehension issues, do you think they're going to suddenly run out to Fry's and update their computer by themselves?
Even with synths, the number 1 concern is that the customer will spend too much time learning the equipment and not making music. This is a universal concern.
Now we have MIR coming. Here are three features as listed in the release:
a. Highly specialized impulses in up to seven direction, horizontally and vertically
b. several hundred user applicable impulse-responses for each room, according to instrument and position
c. intuitive graphic Interface
Read these three sentences in light of the fact that most people use the presets on a reverb unit because they don't understand how to program reverb, nor have they spent the hundreds of hours required over time to develop an ear for programming reverb.
In Synthland, we now we have physical modeling. Let's see, that means we have FM, analog, additive synthesis, and physical modeling.
Are you getting it yet? Technology has gone WAY beyond the purchasers, and they're not buying the way they could be if things were simpler.
Just because someone owns GS doesn't mean they're a computer maven or geekhead who loves to build systems. And yet, the first person to be "attacked" by the Mavens are those who don't want to build their own system. On Northern Sounds, one of our esteemed colleagues said that a person who wasn't willing to build their own computer was lazy!
Well! Let's really beat down potential customers! So not only are they lazy (in the Opinion of the Mavens) but according to 99% of all retail music stores, they're also MIDI Idiots!
Read the subscriber stats for EM. Male, 25-54, working professionals, buying VSL to fulfill their music creation desires, limited free time. If they have Giga on an older machine, you expect them to run down to Fry's and start upgrading because it's so cheap? You want they should take away from their music and run to a 2000 page Windows book when they'd be better off putting their nose into a Ravel score?
FIfth, when I make such suggestions it's certainly not to help me sell more computer systems, because I can't make and sell a PIII-600!