Rupert Goodwins' Diary

Thursday 27/09/2001

Amstrad's figures are out, and they're not good. The company's made a profit, but a tiny one, and its e-m@iler telephone hasn't done what they wanted. It's a lovely telephone, but the idea that people will want to spend 12p an email hasn't caught on. And instead of a million, Amstrad's sold a tenth of that.

Undaunted, the company's pushing ahead with a new version. I still like the old one, which I got at the launch and have had decorating the front hall ever since. Of course, I'm not the target market - and it's difficult to tell how much email is actually being sent through the system. Most emails I see or get are either on the Web or talking about stuff on the Web, and since you can't get there with an e-m@iler that community is forever isolated.

One piece of annoying behaviour, though - mine has taken to calling and checking for email every few hours, charging me 12p a time for the privilege. I told it not to do that, and now I'm getting seven quid a quarter bills for the privilege of supporting Alan Sugar's petty cash fund. Still, poor chap must be down to his last few million by now. About time for some bright new ideas.