speaker@umcp-cs.UUCP (09/06/83)
To: net.micro
Why does anyone own an Apple you ask?
1. Has a keyboard with its own uP...
Does your PC?
2. Has an excellent 80 column display...
Does your PC?
3. Currently has 144K of RAM...
Does your PC have this capability?
4. Has both a 6502 uP... I/O redirection, path searches...
Does your PC have all this?
5. Disk drives and controller boards...
How about your PC?
But my PC has that nifty ergonometric keyboard!
- Speaker
--
Mundane-Name: John T. Nelson
Full-Name: Speaker-To-Animals
UUCP: {seismo,allegra,brl-bmd}!umcp-cs!speaker
CSNet: speaker@umcp-cs
ARPA: speaker.umcp-cs@UDel-Relay
This must be hell...all I can see are flames... towering flames!kurt@fluke.UUCP (Kurt Guntheroth) (09/07/83)
[Intense flame warning] Wait a minute. A keyboard with its own microprocessor? Isn't this the same apple which cannot generate all the ASCII codes (like ']' for pascal). Maybe thay fixed this looser and didn't tell me. Anyway, the apple keyboard should hardly be mentioned when talking about positive features. 144K RAM? All at once? Not likely with a 6502. Maybe there is 144K of total memory, like RAM with ROM laid over it. Well that hardly counts. Maybe there is separate memory for the 80 column video. Can you access it directly? Disk drives and controller boards? Big deal. Almost any computer with any sales volume has several manufacturers of disk boards. (The tur(n)key CP/M systems like osborne being the big exception). Atari has it. Commodore has it. Other processors you can plug in? Well that IS nice. It is not unique though, and soon several other (cheaper) computers will have this too. The commodore 64 already has a z80/CP/M board. The new atari computers will to I am told. 80 column video? Nice. It would be a lot nicer if it were built in, which it is not. Apple has some of the most expensive 80 column adapters I have seen. In fact most apple peripherals are very expensive when their function is considered. How come an 80 column board for the apple costs $250 when a virtually identical (in chip count and type of controller) 80 column board for the vic-20 costs about $70? If I wanted to run spreadsheets I'd get a cp/m system (osborne/kaypro/morrow). Something with a good keyboard and built-in 80 columns. If I wanted to do a lot of heavy programming or big business stuff I'd get an IBMPC or maybe a fortune 16/32 (something with a REAL processor). If I wanted to play games I'd get an atari or maybe a c-64 (we'll see if they get some good games). Apple has good games now but they are loosing market share fast now. I agree: Who wants an apple.