If you’ve read my blog before, you’ll have no doubt spotted the points over time where Alan Sugar has turned up on TV and prompted me into a 5 page monologue on how much of a twerp I think this guy is.

If it’s not dismissing ideas as being unsuccessful because they are “Disney-like” (Disney make more money per day, than Amstrad did in the year he said this; he’s spouting on about his business genius while watching the fortune he made selling (somebody else’s) cheap computers diminish over time, whilst supporting the decreasing market for Sky boxes. Amstrad, it should be noted, don’t DO Sky HD. Sky+ is their only business now.

So it was no surprise to find that there was yet another “also like” product that graced the Amstrad shelves; until finally being put out of our misery some time back. Not that this stops it appearing regularly on “The Apprentice”.

Behold! The Amstrad, it’s a phone, it’s an internet station, it’s a game machine... er device.

The Amstrad E3 or E-m@iler Plus!
Now, I don’t know about you. But while on the phone, I can think of nothing better than playing an old Sinclair game whilst browsing the internet via a 56k modem.

Especially when it comes to the highly competitive rate of;

• Email at 20 pence each, and
• Internet access at 5 pence per minute

Now there’s value.

But at least it appeared original.... except....



Behold! Apple patent filling “User Interface for All-in-One Office System”. Filled on November 16th, 1995.

The fax-top-phone combines a mini-computer (think eMate), telephone, fax machine and MODEM in a single box.

Now all this isn’t without precident. Remember when Amstrad beat Apple to the first PDA type device by a matter of days. Apple blaming itself for holding back release in order to iron out all the bugs in the software (something that didn’t stop Amstrad, you should note).

Of course, pre-dating EITHER device is this.. OK monstrosity by ICL.

Powered by a Motorola 68008 processor (16 big CPU, 8 bit bus!! I ask you!!) it was basically a Sinclar QL clone with two microdrives (i.e. mini tape drives) an integrated MODEM and phone. Screen display was separate and of the old school HUGE monitor variety.

And the date of production? 1985, ten years before Apple and nearly twenty before Amstrad. Still, it IS an ugly old brick.

All of which goes to prove, there’s no such thing as a new idea.

Tags: Amstrad, apple, e-mailer, e3 superphone, E-m@iler Plus

So.. despite the BBC telling us the Sir Alan Michael Sugar is Britain's most famous entrepreneur, fingers in pies and all that, he's selling his fledgling company Amstrad.

Now I've commented in the past on the alleged success of Amstrad previously. It was nothing personal, Sir Alan. It was just that the BBC tried to portray Amstrad as a real force within the technology market in the UK. With offices in Canary Wharf. None of which was actually true. Mind you, Sir Alan didn't exactly ingratiate himself to me when he criticised the 'Disney' approach to customer care; "This isn't a Mickey Mouse company!" he shouted. No. They are VERY successful and Amstrad ISN'T.

Anyway, he's sold Amstrad for £125 million to BSkyB. This is rather interesting, because Sky is Amstrad's main client and equated to 80% - 90% of their income. Now in the period year ending 2005 Amstrad made £100 million pounds (with just £19 million profit) the majority of which was from Sky.

In 2006 Sky has increased in customer base and obviously as a result Amstrad made more money. So I presume that Sky would have paid Amstrad approximately £120 million year ending 2006.

So, if you were Sky and wanted to cut costs... wouldn't YOU buy the supplier for your set top boxes for the same amount of money it costs you to buy the equipment from them? Sky have paired their costs down per customer.

Quite why the BBC would imagine this is a good deal for Sir Alan Sugar and a not so good deal for Sky is confusing.

Tags: Alan Sugar, Amstrad, Disney