Quixote:
mass production drives costs to the manufacturer down, it doesn't drive the price down. And its the price, that the end user is concerned with...not the costs to the person selling the product...there is a difference between the companies concern and the purchasers concern.
It's true, people pay a price for being an early adopter. But then again, companies pay a price for gouging people too. Which is why you don't see the G5's coming in at $10,000 dollars, but you paid that to buy an Apple Lisa.
You also paid thousands upon thousands to be the first to own a 386, but not so much to get in early on the first Pentiums...in other words, that premium is less and less as time goes on, because the window to overcharge early adopters is very slim in an ultra competitive environment.
IBM paid dearly in terms of marketshare for making some big bucks off early adopters...and eventually found they were barely relevant in a market they once owned.
So...while I think the early adopter idea is an idea with merit, it should also be put in context of the idea, that the onus of responsibility for success does not lay entirely square on the shoulders of the consumer, but is also a responsibility born by the company who intends to be a success.
In fact, it is by far, more so their responsibility, and I lied, its not really the responsibility of the consumer in any way shape or form, I was just being patronizing, sorry.
It goes without saying, if Amiga/Eyetech cannot drop the price, and do it soon, they don't have a chance.
They can't expand the market, the number of people willing to be early adopters is going to dry up....and finally, they have a competent competitor in Genesi willing to take the market share they are volunteering to give away.
