The Tiger Learning Computer

["Adrian Vance" <avance@gte.net>]

                                          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