rjv21207@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (10/05/90)
Hopefully, this won't sound like what has already been said before on this
newsgroup, so I'll try not to stray.
By now, it is fairly obvious that the future of Apple is spelled "Macintosh."
However, that does not mean we, as users of the Apple ][, should let the
machine merely die-out because of this. From what I've been reading on the
net I get the feeling that there are (obviously) a lot of people out there
who are willing to continue support for the Apple ][ despite what is happening.
The current state of things doesn't thrill me either. I've been using Apple
]['s ever since I had my first computer class some time ago and continue to
use them now. (As I type this, even...) What I think needs to be done, is
to show the computing world that the USERS of the Apple ][ still support
their machine and that WE, collectively, would still like to see developers
create software and hardware for our machine.
Third party companies (such as Applied Engineering) have demonstrated that
the Apple ][ HAS potential...much more potential than it is being given
credit. I read on the net about these fantastic GS demos (none of which I've
seen, BTW...:-( ) and other things... so there must be something going on
out there.
There is not going to be some great overnight resurrection of the Apple ][.
I think everyone knows that by now. But that doesn't mean we can't start
making noise about getting some new development going.
Somone flamed this newsgroup because everyone was complaining about what
was happening-- that kind of complaining (at least to me) shows that a lot of
people aren't willing to just say "ok-- that's it, the machine is dead."
I think there is a valid reason for expressing concern over the fate of
a machine which is still heavily in use.
So I guess the bottom line is that we the users need to pick up where Apple
left us... we need to show support for the machine by not only producing
things for it ourselves, but also by letting the third party manufacurers know
"Hey, the bulk of the Apple ][ users out in the world are still alive and
using their Apple ]['s and would really appreciate it if you continued
supporting it also..." If that message gets sent out-- and companies
realize that there IS still a market for the machine, then perhaps things
will change. Like I said, it can't happen overnight. It's going to be
up to the users to make things happen, and that, folks, is going to take effort
on our part. Now that we know what Apple's direction is, and the intial
discontent with that decision has had time to settle, we have to start letting
the world know that the Apple ][ isn't dead-- it has just reached the end of
one stage of life, and is ready to enter another....
/\___________________________________________________________/\
\// \\/
// Randy Vose - University of Illinois at Champaign/Urbana \\
\\ rjv21207@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu //
/\___________________________________________________________/\
\/ \/
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