Path: news1.icaen!news.uiowa.edu!news1.chicago.iagnet.net!iagnet.net!newsfeed.direct.ca!news.he.net!newsfeed.gte.net!news.gte.net!not-for-mail From: "Adrian Vance" Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2.marketplace Subject: The Tiger Learning Computer Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 15:33:54 -0800 Organization: AV Lines: 81 Message-ID: <67d00k$s5p$1@gte1.gte.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: 1cust104.max4.los-angeles-da.ca.da.uu.net X-Auth: D741855E538E84D315D08491 X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.71.1712.3 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.71.1712.3 Xref: news1.icaen comp.sys.apple2.marketplace:22140 Hold that Tiger? Would you like to have a lap top sized computer that would output to any television or monitor, run all Apple II disks, and new programs from 2 Meg RAM disks, have Internet text access and cost less than $200 with a disk drive? In the spring following the fall of Apple II the Tiger Toy Company, aka Tiger Electronics, paid Apple Computer an undisclosed sum for "the II technology" as they wanted to develop a "Tiger Learning Computer" realizing that with so much software in the school and home markets a follow-on low-cost machine was strategic lightning. A few months later I was contacted by them as they were interested in my 460 disk catalog. They sent pictures of the prototype, which looked like a laptop: lean, clean and very exciting. The machine omitted a disk drive as a lithium powered RAM cartridge could hold two megabytes virtually indefinitely, allowing for program and mass storage to be handled in a two inch square, quarter inch thick "RAMdisk." The on-board operating system would be PRO-DOS, but an arrangement would be made so DOS 3.3 software could be used. I immediately asked that they develop a disk drive in order to allow us to run old software and found an engineering firm that said, "We could make a drive for that machine in five minutes if there's five volts on one of the card tabs." I began to believe "Apple II forever!" and fantasize throwing a sledge hammer at the screen of an Apple stockholders meeting where the zombies gathered to hear the latest ravings of the overpaid silicon barons taking a work break from appearances with Lady Hillary. As the months wore on I began hearing of problems with the operating system, excuses for not contacting the engineering firm I had nominated and great tales of woe. Then, people started changing. It was like having your horse trip and wonder if it was a sign of what was to come and what would be done. My questions were met with answers like, "We're going after the home market; that's where the numbers are!" and other such MBA fantasies. Names like Target, WalMart, Wards and other mass merchandisers rolled out of my telephone. As the day of release approached my calls earned stories of problems with the FCC over "RF emissions" and other engineering nightmares. "The Internet access software has bugs..." and on. I began to feel I was working with the launch team for Challenger. The fall release date was missed, there would be no Christmas this year for me, but talk of an Easter test was said and we were told the computer would be shown in four test markets: Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Atlanta and Dallas on April 1. TV commercials had been made and the "TLC" computer would be launched with several mass merchandisers in each town, Penny's, Target, WalMart, Wards, etc. The first report was very exciting, "Eight machines were sold as soon as the display was put up in Minneapolis WalMart." but then as the days rolled by and it was increasingly difficult to get the marketing manager on the phone, I began to realize things were not going well. "Tell me about the display." I asked in one call. "Well, (long pause) we put the computers on the counter and..." "With a TV display?" "You mean a television set?" "Yes." "We didn't have one because I was afraid it could come unplugged." I lost control and yelled, "A clerk could put the plug back!" but there was no response. The test was a disaster because the machine was not demonstrated in any way. It was a dead rock, and who's going to buy a rock for $150? "We're going to a teacher's conference in Washington next week." said the marketing manager to my next call. I could not believe they had finally realized the real potential for Apple II was in the school market, where most of the machines made were still in use. A call after the conference indicated they had gotten a good reaction, but were somewhat confused by questions regarding "...a disk drive?" she asked as if a translation was required. So I answered, "They spent $9 billion on disk software and they want to run it." There was no response, but I took the conversation as a sign of opportunity so I called my sources, wrote and FAXed a preliminary marketing plan with a single test mailing to 50,000 schools, a small project for these people. Weeks went by and no call so I dialed and the response was, "There is no interest in this plan." I wonder today if anyone with a few hundred thousand to gamble would want to finish this project, have the disk drive made on participation and give the schools a way to run all their old Apple II disks on monitors or television sets after the old Apple II innards go to mother board heaven. The opportunity is there today. Let me know. We can make it happen. Adrian Vance