[Sussex] The Indie recommends Linux!

[Mark Harrison]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <tealeg at tealeg.uklinux.net>
To: "LUG email list for the Sussex Counties" <sussex at mailman.lug.org.uk>
Sent: Wednesday, December 31, 2003 9:30 PM
Subject: Re: [Sussex] The Indie recommends Linux!


> Can't argue with you there.  My point however was that the people who
needed Unix were Apple themselves.  If they had carried on releasing new
> versions of the old Mac OS they would have been a like Bristol or Morgan -
a manufacturer of much loved, classic kit for a very small market of
> extremely wealthy individuals.  In the end, as a company it is better to
produce a better product that can attract a growing market than continue to
> court an ever shrinking band of fanatics.

"A very small market of extremely wealthy individuals."

I would go along with that analysis for Bristol, but not for Morgan.

OK, given we're on "credentials evening", I'd better state what I know. Mary
is on the committee of the Sussex branch of the Morgan Sports Car Club. I am
a moderator of emog, the Internet's largest discussion forum for Morgans
(900+ members in 35+ countries.)

In North America, your analysis would be correct. Morgans are typically
owned by people with very high incomes. Indeed, the head of one of the
Canadian clubs was titled "The President of Presidents" when it came to
light that over 50% of his members listed their job title as "company
president".

In the UK, however, the majority of Morgans are bought by people in their
50s or 60s, and most definitely not high earners. The entry-price for a
brand new Morgan in the UK currently stands at around £22k on the road. To
put things in perspective, this is roughly the same price as a well-specced
Mondeo. I will concede that you can also spend £60k on a fully loaded,
top-of-the-range Morgan, but the sales volumes suggest that the vast
majority of UK purchasers DON'T do so.

So, your contention that Morgan produce a car, priced the same as a Mondeo,
which is for "extremely wealthy individuals" is something I must challenge.

Mark Harrison