★ PEOPLES ★ DELAYS GROW FOR AMSTRAD'S NEW MACHINES|Popular Computing Weekly) ★ |
| Delays grow for Amstrad's new machines |
DELIVERY dates for the new Amstrad machines seem to be receding, with apparent slippage on both the PC and the Spectrum Plus 2. Volume deliveries of the PC are now expected in early to mid October for the floppy disc version and mid to late October for the hard disc variant. Major stockist Dixons is predicting mid October for the machines.
Two weeks ago both W H Smith and Amstrad Distribution were claiming the Spectrum Plus 2 wouldn't arrive in the shops until mid October (see last week's issue) but Amstrad was last week insisting that the machines would be in the shops by last Saturday A spokeswoman could not however say which shops, and in what numbers. W H Smith, however, doesn't expect the machines in the warehouse until this Friday, and they won t reach the shops until October 10. At the Plus 2 s launch at the beginning of September Amstrad said the machine was "due in British high street stores later this month!" while around the same time it was said the PC range "will go on sale . . . later this month.” Asked about availability at the PC's launch Alan Sugar's reply was "now.” In real life, however, things don't seem to be so simple. In early September Amstrad was predicting simultaneous launch dates for the floppy disc and hard disc versions of the PC, and as late as two weeks ago was claiming shipments would arrive at the end of last week. But by last week this had changed to mid October. So what of Amstrad's proud boast that it doesn't launch products until they're ready to go on sale? A company spokeswoman claimed that Dixons' demonstration models, which had been specially air-freighted to the UK, actually fulfilled the September promise. “A very small amount of machines are in circulation already, so to that extent they (Amstrad) have kept their word ” People who actually want to buy these machines are meanwhile being quoted waiting lists four to six weeks long. Popular Computing Weekly - October 1986
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