harrow@exodus.dec.com (Jeff Harrow, NCSE BXB1-2/E02 DTN=293-5128) (06/25/87)
For those of you who haven't seen the June, 1987 Byte, there is a
comparison between the IBM PS/2 Model 80 and the Mac II that is
quite interesting, and I'll paraphrase it below. The prices of
the configuration listed come out to within $1 of each other, BUT
look carefully at the equipment which is included:
IBM PS/2 Model 80-041 Apple Macintosh II Model HD40
---------------------------- -----------------------------
16 Mhz 80386 16 Mhz 68020
1 megabyte RAM 1 megabyte RAM
1.44 megabyte floppy 800K floppy
44 megabyte hard disk 40 megabyte hard disk
3 open 32 bit slots 5 open 32 bit slots
4 open 16 bit slots ---
keyboard keyboard
video card video card
--- 68881 coprocessor
--- system software
--- 13 inch color monitor
=====================================================
$6995 $6996
However, consider the price if the IBM system is brought up to a
comparable (and operable) configuration. Add:
$795 80387 coprocessor ---
$685 12 inch color monitor ---
$325 OS/2 operating system ---
(no graphics or
windowing, yet)
=========================================================
$8800 (IBM) $6996 (Mac II)
This makes the non-graphic, non-windowed IBM system $1,804 more
expensive than the Macintosh II, which is more than enough
difference to add an AST Research Mac286 coprocessor card ($1499)
to the Mac II, letting it run MS-DOS programs as well!
Jeff Harrow
Work address:
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