purtill@athena.mit.edu (Mark R Purtill) (03/23/90)
I'm interesting in comparisons between the Mac IIcx and the
SE/30. Is the Mac IIcx really worth the extra money (c. $1000)?
I'd be interested in adding a large screen and video card at some
point, and I gather this is possible for the SE/30 -- has anyone
actually done this? Other than that, then only periferals I'd want to
add would be SCSI disks and a modem, so I don't really see that the
NuBus slots are of interest to me. Is there any other difference?
Please respond by email, I will post a summary if there is any
interest. Maybe even if there isn't.
Mark Purtill
^.-.^ purtill@math.mit.edu (if that fails, try: purtill@athena.mit.edu)
((")) \@_: Dept. of Math., MIT 2-229, Cambridge, MA 02139; (617)623-6238purtill@athena.mit.edu (Mark R Purtill) (03/30/90)
In comp.sys.mac.hardware I wrote: > I'm interesting in comparisons between the Mac IIcx and the >SE/30. Is the Mac IIcx really worth the extra money (c. $1000)? >I'd be interested in adding a large screen and video card at some >point, and I gather this is possible for the SE/30 -- has anyone >actually done this? Other than that, then only periferals I'd want to >add would be SCSI disks and a modem, so I don't really see that the >NuBus slots are of interest to me. Is there any other difference? > Please respond by email, I will post a summary if there is any >interest. Maybe even if there isn't. Here are extracts from the responses I got, followed by my "response" and more questions. (If anyone is interested, I can forward the entire text of the messages I got). From: "John R. Delaney" <delaney@XN.LL.MIT.EDU> > One use for those slots: a Color Quickdraw accelerator card. No way to get > that in an SE/30. From: rcfische@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (Raymond C. Fischer) > Although it is most certainly possible to add an additional monitor > to an SE/30, the choices are more limited and more expensive than > for the Mac II. Otherwise, the SE/30 has the same processor, ROMs, > disks, memory, etc, as the IIcx. Just doesn't have the slots. From: John Rieman <rieman@boulder.Colorado.EDU> > But. If you really want a larger screen, get the CX now. > Apple still doesn't make a video card for the SE/30's > direct slot. There are several 3rd-party cards, but who > knows which are compatible with all the Mac software, and > which will be supported by future operating systems. (Or > how long the 3rd-party vendors will stay in business.) From: watermaa@tramp.Colorado.EDU (K. Leung) > Cons: SE only has direct slot (not enough support for hardware - > only for nubus)When comes time to go for color monitor, color card > costs 100-200 dollars more than IIcx counterpart. > It's also a pain to have 2 monitors to view. > Large capacity internal Hard drives will not fit inside SE/30 (internals are > cheaper) > I don't trust the power supply of SE/30 as much as IIcx. (very similar > to ones in SE and Plus) From: claris!drc@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Dennis Cohen) > My reasoning for going with the IIcx was that I got a 13", 256-color monitor > and easy expandability in terms of memory and additional cards in the IIcx > and that the SE/30 is a B*TCH inside and has only a 9", 2-color screen. >... > Video cards for the NuBus machines are > much less expensive than they are for the SE/30 and you can conveniently > install them yourself rather than either paying someone to do it for you or > inflicting yourself with a most unpleasant exercise. From: ar4@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Piper Keairnes) > For your case, it really depends upon what your visual needs are. Do you > need/want to work with color? For me that is a big consideration. My SE has > lived a good life, but the small screen and B&W interface is starting to > get old! You might also want to notice that Apple has released it's 8.24 > graphics card. This card will work with MANY monitors and produces 24-bit > color (near photographic quality). The card is available for a smidgen more > than Apple's old standard 8-bit card. That card in a IIcx would make a > wonderful workstation.... From: smith@origin.life.uiuc.edu (Steven Smith) > I was in the same position as you are now, and I opted for the > SE/30. (Omitted: details of how an SE/30 with 5meg, a color monitor and A/UX come to $5190) > $5000 for a standalone color unix workstation. Can't beat that one with a > stick. >... > If you are concerned about the SE/30's performance, dont be. It is just > as fast as the II's and IIcx's we use at work. And there is a lot to be said > for having a machine that you can throw over your shoulder and take with you. From: kallio@jyu.fi (Seppo Kallio) > We have one Mac SE/30 + Formac 19" b/w screen. It is OK. Only thing is that > who knows what is the future of SE/30: It has a different card slot than > MacSE and MacII. So there is not so many cards for it than for > MacII. And Apple does no do displays for it (or did not?). Okay, fine, everyone seems to be saying that the MacIIcx is a better machine, and the slots are handy. I believe you. But. At MIT academic prices, the SE/30 (plain) comes in at $2540 + $90(keyboard) = $2630, while the MacIIcx is $2995 + $90(keyboard) + $135(cheapest video card) + $275(cheapest monitor) for a total of $3495, which is $865 more (so I was $135 off, sorry). For two usable NuBus slots. Okay, so when I upgrade to a large screen, it'll cost me more, but $865 more? (And the upgrade cost is money in the distant future, like two years from now, versus money now, too). (Incidentally, the HD40 in an SE/30 adds $325, but in the IIcx, it costs $495. How come?) SO, more questions: (1) Where I should look to price 19" monitors and vidoe cards for the SE/30? I'd like to know who much more that video card is going to cost. Again, if anyone has actually connected up a large (or indeed any) monitor to an SE/30, I'd like here from you on how well it worked. Especially if you used A/UX and X -- did it work? (2) How much more will an external HD go for than the internal that won't fit in the SE/30 box? Again, reply by email, I'll summarize. Mark Purtill ^.-.^ purtill@math.mit.edu (if that fails, try: purtill@athena.mit.edu) ((")) \@_: Dept. of Math., MIT 2-229, Cambridge, MA 02139; (617)623-6238