[comp.sys.apple2] The new Macs

$CSD211@LSUVM.BITNET (Mark Orr) (10/16/90)

I just got back from the local empowerment station (the computer department
of the LSU Bookstore) with the product brochures for the new Macs. (I feel
empowered just carrying them) As we know, there are three of them: the
Macintosh Classic, the Mac LC, and the Mac IIsi. As it happens, only the
Mac LC will be able to run Apple IIe software, and it may never be able to
run IIgs software. The reason: The expansion slot to the Mac LC is not a
NuBus Slot. It is a '020 Direct slot...so not all Macs will be empowered
with IIe software. Another thing, the Mac LC is rather small (it looks like
and Apple IIc without the keyboard...about the thickness of a 3.5" drive.
The case can be opened but the area for the '020 direct card is pretty small.
(unlikely they could fit all the GS custom chips) Looking at the picture of
the LC's back, it shows the Expansion Slot Access Port, a tiny punch out
rectangular hole...so chances are the motherboard is packed.

The Mac LC (the only one I think we have to worry about) has a 16 MHz 68020,
comes with 2 Mb RAM standard - expandable to 10 Mb, 512k Video RAM,
a sound digitizer input, a 1.4 Mb SuperDrive disk, and an SCSI port. It is
also being bundled with HyperCard 2.0 Home (gee, I thought that the home
market was somehow "mythical"). Overall, this is one tough package. No word
as yet on pricing (at least they wouldn't tell me).

----------------------------      "Dont let Kirk show you what he
Mark Orr                   !          calls "The Captains Log"
$CSD211@LSUVM.SNCC.LSU.EDU !               -from a Late Night Top Ten list
----------------------------

THROOP@GRIN1.BITNET ("Throop,Henry B") (10/16/90)

I read in a dealer advertisement here that one of the models with 2 MB RAM
and a 40 MB hard drive will sell for $1499 list...pretty hard to beat.  If
Apple could make a Mac like that, why can't they do the same to the gs?

--
Henry Throop
THROOP@GRIN1.BITNET
throoph@jacobs.cs.orst.edu

rkh@mtune.ATT.COM (Robert Halloran) (10/16/90)

In article <9010152216.AA06276@apple.com> THROOP@GRIN1.BITNET ("Throop,Henry B") writes:
>I read in a dealer advertisement here that one of the models with 2 MB RAM
>and a 40 MB hard drive will sell for $1499 list...pretty hard to beat.  If
>Apple could make a Mac like that, why can't they do the same to the gs?

The Mac LC, the only one of the new models that will be able to accept the
][e emulation card, will go for about $3100 with a color monitor, according
to the MacWeek articles.  Add another $200 for the emulator and you have
a $3300. dual-processor system, which schools will probably pay around $1800-2000
for.

My wife, a high school teacher who helped set up their computer room (15 ][e,
3 GS, 2 Macs as file/print servers), breezed through the article and said it 
was too expensive.  She said the only way she could see it selling in the K-12
market would be for schools who could afford ONE computer and needing the
ability to run both A2 and Mac software.  For the same cost they could provide
three or four ][e's and "empower" that many more students at a time.

I honestly think they've shot themselves in the, er, foot with this one.... 

						Bob Halloran
=========================================================================
Internet: rkh@mtune.dptg.att.com		UUCP: att!mtune!rkh		
Disclaimer: If you think AT&T would have ME as a spokesman, you're crazed.
"Apple II Forever"?  Looks like Forever = 13 years, 6 months 
	(4/15/77 - 10/15/90)
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