128a-3aj@e260-3b.berkeley.edu (Jonathan Dubman) (12/09/88)
Hello, folks. Before I plunk down ten grand which I don't fully have for a new computer, a few questions for the informed. I'm already sure it's going to be a Mac, so it's down to the numbers game. (7) What are the different memory configurations in the Mac II? I've heard of 1 meg, 4 meg, 5 meg, and 8 meg. What else? What configurations use which size of SIMM? (6) The clock speeds bother me- If I buy a IIx, it's only running at 16 MhZ, and in this funny system the main processor does almost all the work. Worse, the NuBus is running at 10 MhZ, whereas the NeXT cube goes at 25 MhZ. Since the bus is the path to the future (they still sell Apple II's!) I'm concerned about being locked out of future nifty developments, like transputers, etc. This is a major investment so it has to have a long lifespan. Is Apple likely to switcheroo to 25 Mhz or something later on? (5) I'm an animation afficianado. The machine I'm sitting in front of has a graphics coprocessor and blows away the Mac in animation. To me the Mac II is truly "turtle graphics" -- I'd like a blitter. Is it possible or likely a standard will be specified for such devices so we can speed up the windows and animation? (4) Will Display Postscript render the LaserWriter SC as capable (if not as fast) as the II NT sort? (3) I've heard the Apple HD-20 is slow and noisy. (That's external or internal?) How are the Apple 40 meg and 80 meg drives that come with the II? (2) I hear the IIx has SIMM-ROMs with different code for the '030s internal MMU. Are they any larger in storage size? Am I likely to have any ROM problems way down the line with the plain II? (1) I heard you can't format the 1.44-meg floppies as 800K- is this true? (0) Any thoughts on prices over the next year? Mac SE-030 and baby Mac II? RAM prices? Maybe I can save for now by staying with 1 meg. Can you do any development with one meg? Gracias- Jonathan Dubman UC Berkeley '90