P100-A.THD --- Copyright 1987 by Phil Wheeler An original compilation of Compuserve Model 100 Forum messages for use by Forum members only. Portable 100 (aka Portable 100/200, Portable 100/200/600, etc.) was once the leading publication for our computers -- and, not long ago, was the sponsor of this forum. During the last year or so of active publication, their delivery performance got pretty spotty -- and publication stopped after the August 1986 issue. But -- they may stage a comeback. Read this file; then decide what YOU think. (Part A of this thread) Message range: 146173 to 146352 Dates: 4/22/87 to 4/24/87 Fm: Jeff DeTray 70310,676 To: Port.100 Mag subscribers Respond to this account number: 70310,676 We've been offered the opportunity to purchase Portable 100 Magazine from Camden Communications. If we buy the magazine, we would publish it on a monthly basis (beginning with July?) in much the same format as it was before. We need your input ASAP: 1. Are you interested in receiving a revived Portable 100 magazine? 2. If you have dropped your subscription, would you rescubscribe if the magazine didn't change much and was offered at the same price? 3. How much do you plan to spend in the next twelve months on software, peripherals, etc. from those companiewhich used to advertise in Portable 100? 4. Do you have any suggestions/feedback on ways we might improve Portable 100? Please send me any other comments you might have. Thanks! -- Jim McBrian, CW Communications, Peterborough NH Fm: Tony Anderson 76703,4062 To: Jeff DeTray 70310,676 Jim, I'd think that first you'd have to reassure present subscribers, those who paid their money and whose subscription has not been completed; and those who sent in new subscriptions since last August, and who have been refused refunds, that your intentions were to honor that subscription committment. I, myself, had just renewed for a three-year term! Second, I think everyone agrees that Portable 100 was the absolute BEST source of support _in print_ for the Model 100 family, and we'd like to see it available again. We may have grumbled here and there about various articles or points of view, but nevertheless, it was there from the beginning, and was relied upon heavily! Many articles are still used as important reference material! Personally, I'd like to see a more cooperative attitude between the print publishers, and the various online services. I believe they can be mutually supportive, without competing. Print media reaches a larger, but less timely audience, and by that very nature, can help build online use. Online services, by their more immediate nature, can better deal with problems, and solve immediate needs. I believe both media can not only coexist, but compliment each other. We are _not_ "the enemy"! Good luck, in whatever you decide. (Hope it's a "go ahead"! Fm: Dave Thomas 70526,1117 To: Jeff DeTray 70310,676 With JIM POVEC as the Chief Executive Officer of CW Communications, can't say I'm amazed at CW having "been offered the opportunity to purchase Portable 100 magazine from Camden Communications" - founded by JIM POVEC. If "the magazine didn't change much" I'd assume continued delivery to vendors that had paid for advertising, but no delivery to subscribers. Reminder to all: JIM POVEC is founder of Portable 100 & other failed Camden magazines; he who was publisher of Portable 100 as authors wished hopefully to get paid for their work - and some still wish. JIM POVEC, now CEO of CW Communications, was publisher of Portable 100 as we waited, and waited, and waited for our magazines in '84, '85 and most of 1986. Seems the Postal Service wouldn't mail magazines without payment. Fm: Charles Lewis 72356,3326 To: Jeff DeTray 70310,676 Yes! I am a new 100 user and would be very interested. I probably will spend $200-300 in the next year. If you are ready to send subscription information, please leave me an E-Mail message Fm: Mark Earle 73117,351 To: Jeff DeTray 70310,676 Well, I would have to be honest and say, the initial value of Portable 100, as a tutorial, decreases as time goes on. There are fewer M100 users who need hand holding. Personally I'll spend less than $200 in the next year total on software; already have all my hardware purchased (3 M100's)...... Also a startup of Laptop User for FREE and the user's group may make for a tough market for another M100 specific magazine. Also, with the rocky start portable 100 has, a lot of folks would stay away from it...just my thoughts, as a person with almost all the portable 100 copies on file, and an original 8k M100 user when they were $800! Mark Earle Fm: Tony Anderson 76703,4062 To: Dave Thomas 70526,1117 Callous of the Post Office, wasn't it? (grin) Fm: Joel Dinda 75725,1134 To: Jeff DeTray 70310,676 Not long ago, I'd have been delighted to find your message here. I've fond memories of P100, despite the perpetual distribution problems and an unfortunate incident (if you pick up the debts, count me in). Portable 100, despite flaws, was the best magazine on the market for us Kyocera folk, and I've missed it greatly. On the other hand: There's this long gap in the magazine's distribution. I share Dave Thomas's reservations about the magazine for pretty much the reasons he lists; although I'm willing to "test" you folks for the remainder of my unfulfilled subscription, I'm not real interested in sending anyone money for a magazine named Portable 100 until I've seen a couple issues actually in distribution. And, too, there are Terry's revitalized Pico -- not my favorite magazine, but better suited to my interests than the previous incarnation -- and JD's Laptop User, which looks real promising. You're talking about a different environment from that which existed in November. The most irritating thing about the collapse of Portable 100 is that it cut all of us off from the advertisers. Now that I've solved that problem, I'm not real sure I need still another magazine to clutter my mail. Not blaming you for these things, of course, although it probably sounds that way. But one of the things you'll have to cope with, if you "rescue" the magazine, is that lots of us got so frustrated with it that we're no longer real enthusiastic about it. This despite the fact that the magazine was, itself, well worth the subscription price. Spending: I've been spending between $500 and $1000 a year on this machine for four years. There's an excellent chance that will continue. I wish you well. Wish I could be more supportive. Good luck. Fm: ALGIS KAUPAS 73327,3157 To: Jeff DeTray 70310,676 Sure, I'd be interested in receiving the isssues of "Portable 100" magazine that I paid for and never received! Otherwise, I'm not sure what you'd be buying other than ill will... Fm: Neil Smith 76257,3227 To: Jeff DeTray 70310,676 Jim - I think that if you fulfill the outstanding subscription responsibilities of P100 with a magazine of P100s caliber, I believe you will get quite a good renewal rate. The key is that all the subscribers were burned with monthes of promises, but no magazines, and it will take ACTIONS (magazines in the mailbox), not words, to regain the faith of the readers. I do think that since the P100 readers have had almost a year without P100, many have found other ways to fill their needs for advertisements and articles. However, there probably is room for all, with the correct positioning. I think that one key would be to get a strong editor and/or technical editor. With Alan, Terry, JD, etc. with the other magazines, it will show if there is not much M100 knowledge at the new P100. I guess I'm cautiously optomistic, and wish you luck. Fm: Nick Arnett 76657,2712 To: Jeff DeTray 70310,676 The more support, the better. I'd subscribe. It would be wonderful to have a solid source of information and encouragement for the M100 family of computers. We are using them (NEC 8201s and M-102s) at the San Francisco Business Times to gather tabular material from public records. We've had such success that our affiliated papers in American City Business Journals (35 papers) want to do the same. But it's hard to support them... These computers have traditionally appealed to people who were willing to program them themselves, at least to some extent. But we've developed software for IBM-compatible PCs that generates code for the portables, which you then download to the portables. That makes them easy to "program" for non-programmers, without using up the portable's memory. Fm: Nick Arnett 76657,2712 To: Nick Arnett 76657,2712 Thought I'd add a little more after seeing some of the replies. Sounds like you'd be picking up some bad associations. In answer to the question about equipment, I expect American City to buy 100 or so portables and memory upgrades for all of them, plus the software we developed here. I've had serious interest from others who gather data in the field, even though I've never advertised or marketed in any way. The trick, again, is in the combination of the PC and portable. If you have to hire a programmer to make your portable work, then it's hardly worth it. It's probably cheaper (not to mention smarter) to buy an IBM-compatible portable. With the right kind of software on PCs supporting portables, they are a great tool. Good luck! Fm: George Saladino 70210,445 To: Jeff DeTray 70310,676 I would be interested in receiving Portable 100 again. Have missed it. Have not suggestions at this time. George Saladino