kjb@zycad.UUCP (Kevin Buchs) (11/22/87)
I will apologize in advance for any duplication. I have not been reading
any of the comp.sys.mac* groups.
I was just reading December's Byte and there is a pretty good article on
HyperCard. I guess I really didn't know what it was, and nobody writing in
comp.sys.mac.hpyerypercard was telling. I also read the article about the
accelerator boards for the Mac. I kept saying to myselt, "I bet this stuff
wont't work with my machine."
So here I am sitting at home with a 128K mac which I paid over $2000 for. I
does not run any software and I don't use it. It was great when I bought
it, but I haven't heard from rom Apple since. I bought Macterminal, Macpascal,
and UCSD Pascal, all basically the first versions. I send in the
registration cards like a good owner should. Well Apple has sure screwed me.
So, I'm told I could sell my machine for maybe $50 . I am thinking
about upgrading it, but I am wondering if this will leave me in the same
position in another year. I was told I could upgrade the memory and the
roms and get something that isn't sold anymore. I would like to know if any
anyone has any better ideas or advice. How much can I upgrade what I've got
and how close to the current product will it get me? Or does it just make
sense to buy a new machine. (I doubt I will let Apple screw me twice).
Does anyone make a useful operating system for the Mac which is small and
doesn't need to have the user swap the D**M disk 25 times to copy a 1K file?
Is there a CPM variant., or some such thing?
--
Kevin Buchs 3500 Zycad Dr. Oakdale, MN 55109 (612)779-5548
Zycad Corp. {rutgers,ihnp4,amdahl,umn-cs}!meccts!nis!zycad!kjbsuhler@im4u.UUCP (Paul A. Suhler) (11/24/87)
In article <693@zycad.UUCP> kjb@zycad.UUCP (Kevin Buchs) writes: >So here I am sitting at home with a 128K mac which I paid over $2000 for. I >does not run any software and I don't use it. It was great when I bought If you paid that much for it, I assume that you've had it for at least three years. Consider that money to be mostly amortized and go ahead and upgrade. I started with a 128k Mac in Feb 85 and have had it upgraded to a 512k and later to a Plus. It beats doing without for those years and then starting with an SE. I consider it money well spent; I'm now considering a 2Meg upgrade. It can still do what it did in the beginning; don't blame Apple if you now want it to do things it couldn't do then. On the other hand, if buying a new Plus or SE isn't that much more than the Plus upgrade, you might do that, since you'll get a new machine with a presumably longer lifetime ahead of it. Does anyone know how long the original Macs have lasted before their failure rates start going up the far side of the bathtub curve? -- Paul Suhler suhler@im4u.UTEXAS.EDU 512-474-9517/471-3903
geb@cadre.dsl.PITTSBURGH.EDU (Gordon E. Banks) (11/24/87)
In article <693@zycad.UUCP> kjb@zycad.UUCP (Kevin Buchs) writes: > >So here I am sitting at home with a 128K mac which I paid over $2000 for. I >does not run any software and I don't use it. It was great when I bought >it, but I haven't heard from rom Apple since. And just what do you think Apple should have done: A) Not sold the Mac until it could provide 512/1Meg memory cheaply enough to make it in the marketplace? B) Given you a free upgrade, each and every time they make a better system? C) Give you a free computer now? I didn't buy my mac until the Mac Plus came out, because I recognized the limitations of the small memory macs, even though I liked the concept a lot. Now I would not go back to my IBM clones for anything. Computer hardware quickly becomes obsolete. If you don't like this, you should get an Apple II or CP/M or MSDOS machine and keep it for 10 years, not paying any attention to the latest hardware and software developments which won't run on your old machine. It costs a lot of money to be on the leading edge of technology.
robertj@yale-zoo-suned..arpa (Rob Jellinghaus) (11/25/87)
Please, please, please keep this discussion off the net!!!
Restrict it to mail!!!!
Every couple of months someone complains about their Mac becoming
obsolete only a {year|coupla months|week} after they bought it.
Then masses of other people jump on the original poster's neck,
saying things like "Don't complain; you {had the use of it for a
while|can still run old software|can upgrade fairly cheaply|have
to pay to stay on top of the technology}." These discussions run
around in circles and can sometimes become full-blown flame wars.
Please let's extinguish this one quickly! Net-firefighters of the
world, unite!
Rob Jellinghaus | "Lemme graze in your veldt,
jellinghaus@yale.edu.UUCP | Lemme trample your albino,
ROBERTJ@{yalecs,yalevm}.BITNET | Lemme nibble on your buds,
!..!ihnp4!hsi!yale!jellinghaus | I'm your... Love Rhino" -- Bloom Countyhoward@cpocd2.UUCP (Howard A. Landman) (11/25/87)
In article <693@zycad.UUCP> kjb@zycad.UUCP (Kevin Buchs) writes: >I was just reading December's Byte and there is a pretty good article on >HyperCard. I guess I really didn't know what it was, and nobody writing in >comp.sys.mac.hpyerypercard was telling. There's an interesting article on HyperCard in the latest issue of Whole Earth Review. Seems the Whole Earth Catalog people were selected as a test site for HC and began using it in December 1986! Look for the CD ROM Whole Earth Catalog soon (as soon as there's an Apple CD ROM player, anyway :-). Lots of other good stuff in this issue too. "Joe Bob says check it out." -- Howard A. Landman {oliveb,hplabs}!intelca!mipos3!cpocd2!howard howard%cpocd2.intel.com@RELAY.CS.NET "Press here"
sysop@stech.UUCP (11/30/87)
> Does anyone know how long the original Macs have lasted before their > failure rates start going up the far side of the bathtub curve? > -- > Paul Suhler suhler@im4u.UTEXAS.EDU 512-474-9517/471-3903 I can't speak for every old Mac, but mine is one of those from the first 90 days, nearing his fourth birthday. Though he started out as a 128K, he now has 128K ROM and 2 Meg RAM. I'm still using the original battery. The only problem has been the power supply, which has been replaced once. Therefore, the total repair costs over just under four years have been about $150. Not too bad ... MultiFinder runs great with the 2 Meg, by the way. Jan Harrington, sysop Scholastech Telecommunications ihnp4!husc6!amcad!stech!sysop or allegra!stech!sysop ******************************************************************************** Miscellaneous profundity: "No matter where you go, there you are." Buckaroo Banzai ********************************************************************************
chuq@plaid.Sun.COM (Chuq Von Rospach) (11/30/87)
>> Does anyone know how long the original Macs have lasted before their >> failure rates start going up the far side of the bathtub curve? >I can't speak for every old Mac, but mine is one of those from the >first 90 days, nearing his fourth birthday. Though he started out as >a 128K, he now has 128K ROM and 2 Meg RAM. Sounds like mine. Mine is about that old, upgraded to 512K, upgraded to 512Ke, and recently installed a Dove board to go to 2Meg and and a SCSI. I have blown my flyback twice. One fixed by an Apple rep for ~150 by swapping the analog board, once by an independent who swapped the flyback for $40 (and put in an improved part -- the one Apple ought to have used in the first place). That's pretty painless in my eyes. And cheaper than Applecare. As a side note, most 'power supply' or analog board problems aren't in the power supply. Most tend to be failed flybacks, which are attached to the analog board. If you can find a good independent repair place (as opposed to a good, dependent board swapper) you can save a fair amount of money and get a more reliable computer. Most of the media screaming at Apple over this has been uninformed and misdirected. There is a problem with the analog board, but it isn't the power supply. It is an under-specced flyback. Newer machines should be okay, and you can save yourself a lot of hassle by using a fan on your mac. ESPECIALLY if you put anything else in the case. >I'm still using the original battery. I replaced mine, although I didn't need to -- just being conservative, I guess. >MultiFinder runs great with the 2 Meg, by the way. How did we EVER live without Multifinder? --- Chuq "Fixed in 4.0" Von Rospach chuq@sun.COM Delphi: CHUQ
dwb@apple.UUCP (David W. Berry) (12/02/87)
In article <2431@im4u.UUCP> suhler@im4u.UUCP (Paul A. Suhler) writes: >Does anyone know how long the original Macs have lasted before their >failure rates start going up the far side of the bathtub curve? I bought a 128 in Feb of 1984, when they first came out. When I sold it a couple of months ago it had 128K ROMS, SCSI port, and 2 Meg of memory, and ran great. I'd had to replace the power supply twice but other than that never had any problems with it. All-in-all, I'd say they have a long and productive life ahead of them if you get the 128K ROM upgrade. Even more so if you get one of the multitudinous 2 Meg memory upgrades and SCSI ports (I got Levco's) >-- >Paul Suhler suhler@im4u.UTEXAS.EDU 512-474-9517/471-3903 -- David W. Berry dwb@well.uucp dwb@Delphi dwb@apple.com 973-5168@408.MaBell Disclaimer: Apple doesn't even know I have an opinion and certainly wouldn't want if they did.
wmcb@ecsvax.UUCP (William C. Bauldry) (12/04/87)
>>I can't speak for every old Mac, but mine is one of those from the >>first 90 days, nearing his fourth birthday. Though he started out as > mine is also from the first 90 days. Had a loose internal drive, covered by warranty (about the 89th day); since then, only a new battery. I have installed a cooling fan though - to keep the power supply happy. This gives a total cost of about $13.95 for 4 years - not too excessive. -bill