info-mac@utcsrgv.UUCP (info-mac) (05/17/84)
Date: Tue, 15 May 84 11:01 PDT
Sender: uw-beaver!MKrigel.ES@XEROX.ARPA
Subject: Random Apple News
To: info-micro@BRL-VGR.ARPA, MacIntosh^.pa@XEROX.ARPA,
AppleUsers^.es@XEROX.ARPA
From: uw-beaver!MKrigell.es@XEROX.ARPA
If you can get a copy of this weeks (Monday May 14th) E Times, look to
section 3 for several articles on Apple, which I summarize below:
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Macintosh
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Apple is currently producing 1500 Macintoshes per day with a factory
capacity of 2000/ day. Because of demand, etc, Apple is about to build
a second factory and plans to introduce a "Fat-Mac"; ie, a Macintosh
with a hard disk to compete with the IBM-PC (?) and XT (!). Tecmar and
Davong-Systems Inc will be introducing hard-disk add-ons for current
machines shortly.
** Macintosh all ready competes with the PC, the hard disk option
spoken
of will go head-to-head with the XT ** MK
Automation in the Apple factory keeps the labor cost of the Macintosh
down to 1-2% of manufacuring cost.
Macintosh is schedualed to expand into a "full product line" along with
Lisa.
Apple is said to be considering using the 68020 which is a full 32 bit
virtual-memory version of the 68000.
The "Fat-Mac" will offer a hard disk, either as a part of the whole
package or via upgrading of the interface ports, giving them the higher
performance expected with a hard disk. (512K of memory, double sided
disks, if Apple can get them, high speed (5-MHz) ports are
possibilities).
128K Macintoshes will be continued to be sold ($1950) with enhanced 512K
Macintoshes priced at $2950.
Macintosh software was designed for concurrency but at 128K the current
machine is not concurrent.
At a recent seminar, Apple demonstrated the development of a fully
functional Pascal which ran in only 2K of object code and noted that C
programs will be just as short. This is made possible by virtue of
extensive ROM routines which make writing the first program for the
Macintosh a "painful" experience.
A standalone Assembler/debugger should be available by July. The
debugger will feature multiple windows but will require 2 Mac's. A
simpler debugger will "also be available".
** Don't ask me what "also be available" means ** MK
A version of Forth is now available (Creative Solutions of Rockwell, Md)
and Pascal and C whould be available by December.
Availablity of external 3-1/2 inch disk drives is schedualled for May.
Microsopft has begun shipping the "bug-free" version of Multiplan. If
you sent in the warranty card, you get the update free.
Microsoft Word and enhanced database and chart programs will begin to be
shipped over the next 2 months.
Microsoft and Apple announced full support for letter-quality
(daisywheel) printing on the Macintosh!
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Apple //e and //c
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The phrase Apple II forever continues to see daylight.
The Mouse for the Apple //c (by the way A.P.P.L.E. says "c" stands for
the C in 65C02) will cost (does cost?) $99. The same mouse port on the
//c will accomodate a nine pin D-connector for game paddles. Because
there are no expansion ports on the //c, Apple used several of the
inverse-flash characters for mouse support, as conrasted with the mouse
for the //e which uses an external 6805 based board ($149) for
interfacing. Thus in the //c the 65C02 does the x-y motion
calculations, while in the //e it is done by the external 6805.
The //e Mouse WILL (should) work on the ][+.
Marc