[comp.sys.mac.hardware] Mac IIci clone

ifab623@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (moon) (01/09/91)

This is from
Capital Business section of Austin American Statesman, Austin, Texas.
Monday, Dec 17, 1990   page 7  without permission.

Cork Computer Corp. a small Austin start-up, has attracted plenty of
attention with its announcement of the first clone for the Apple
Computer's Macintosh IIci computer. The compter is designed as a cheaper
way to substantially upgrade old, outdated Macintoshes. The Cork System 30,
 scheduled to begin shipping in March, has all the features of the powerful
 new Macintosh, except the Mac's 128k bit ROM that contains the computer's
 patented OS. The idea is for the owner of an old Mac to pop the ROM chip
 out of the outdated Macintosh and into the new Cork. Shazam! You've got
 a Macintosh IIci clone for a list price of $2999, more than $2400 below
 the going price quoted by Apple for the comparable machine. Kevin Corcoran,
 head of the new company, said he hopes his machine expands the high-end
 Macintosh market. "I felt the Mac was a great computer, but it was too
 darned expensive because Apple had a monopoly." Corcoran said. "I felt
 they need some competition." Apple has zealously guarded its proprietary
 design for the Mac. Corcoran said his company avoided infringing on
 Apple's patents by not copying the OS. Some computer owners may not be
 willing to fool around with removing and inserting chips. Corcoran's
 company will do the job if they like. The Cork System 30 will feature
 Motorola's 68030 microprocessor operating at 25Mhz; a powerful 68882
 math co-processor for heavier number crunching; 8-bit color; three
 expansion slots; and 4M bytes of RAM upgradable to 8M bytes. It also
 will be the first computer to feature Motorola's new digital signal
 sound chip. Corcoran claims.


 s moon

topgun@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu (Chandra Bajpai) (01/10/91)

In article <42258@ut-emx.uucp> ifab623@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (moon) writes:
>This is from
>Capital Business section of Austin American Statesman, Austin, Texas.
>Monday, Dec 17, 1990   page 7  without permission.
>
>Cork Computer Corp. a small Austin start-up, has attracted plenty of
>attention with its announcement of the first clone for the Apple
>Computer's Macintosh IIci computer. The compter is designed as a cheaper
>way to substantially upgrade old, outdated Macintoshes. The Cork System 30,
> scheduled to begin shipping in March, has all the features of the powerful
..
> darned expensive because Apple had a monopoly." Corcoran said. "I felt
> they need some competition." Apple has zealously guarded its proprietary
> design for the Mac. Corcoran said his company avoided infringing on
> Apple's patents by not copying the OS. Some computer owners may not be

    Does that mean they made their own Operating System?

> expansion slots; and 4M bytes of RAM upgradable to 8M bytes. It also
> will be the first computer to feature Motorola's new digital signal
> sound chip. Corcoran claims.

  Does anyone know which Motorola chip he is speaking of?


  Wonder how quickly they will be sued by Apple.

-Chandra Bajpai
 topgun@brandeis.cs.edu

torrie@cs.stanford.edu (Evan J Torrie) (01/11/91)

topgun@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu (Chandra Bajpai) writes:

>In article <42258@ut-emx.uucp> ifab623@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (moon) writes:

>> expansion slots; and 4M bytes of RAM upgradable to 8M bytes. It also
>> will be the first computer to feature Motorola's new digital signal
>> sound chip. Corcoran claims.

>  Does anyone know which Motorola chip he is speaking of?

To be the first computer to use it, he would have to be talking about the
96002 "Multimedia engine" chip.  I can't see that this is going to be of 
much use, because I would assume it needs special code written to take
advantage of it...

-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Evan Torrie.  Stanford University, Class of 199?       torrie@cs.stanford.edu   
"Dear Fascist Bully Boy,   Give me some money, or else.  Neil.  P.S. May
the seed of your loins be fruitful in the womb of your woman..."