trc (12/08/82)
Does anyone out there have the scoop on what the Apple ][ E will have in it, and what its approximate price range will be? I figure they'll reduce chip count, add 80 column text, built in disk controller, 64K memory, printer interface and serial I/O port. I expect that the old text and graphics hardware will be about the same, since so many programs depend upon this - they'd be foolish to toss out their big advantage of software quantity. Similarly, there should still be expansion slots - to keep the quantity of expander boards - which implies that the box will probably be about the same size/shape (another plus - recognition factor of the box). There may be a real time clock, but considering the Apple /// experience, I wonder - once burned..... Price range for this system, with a single disk, will probably be between $1K and $1.5K ? This fits the technology about right, and is in the same range as the current Apple ][ +, which the Apple ][E should replace. I wish they'd get that machine out the door - I'm looking for a newer system, and have limited the choices down to the Commodore 64, a Lobo Max80, or an Apple ][E. Of course, if Apple were to offer me an advance copy of a Lisa or MacIntosh . . . .