From: jtgorman@cs.arizona.edu (J. Taggart Gorman)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware
Subject: Re: Low Cost Powerbook?
Date: 28 Jan 93 07:56:28 GMT
Reply-To: jtgorman@cs.arizona.edu (J. Taggart Gorman)
Organization: Organization?  We don't need no steenking organization!
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            my mission.


In article <1993Jan27.132055.1@vmsb.is.csupomona.edu>,
Citizen cvadsgvo@vmsb.is.csupomona.edu writes :
>a low cost powerbook? is that a dream?
>[suggests solutions...]
>
>1. poor students like me. they need a mac, like the idea of portable but can
>not afford a powerbook. they would get a powerbook as the only computer if the
>price is low enough. for them, reasonable functionality and low price are
>essential.
>so, a powerbook with only a SCSI and a serial port, a 1 bit screen, 16 mhz
>68030 and INTERNAL floppy are good enough. all the other ports are nice but not
>essential. (i doubt if more than 5 percent of the mac users ever use the audio
>port.) for students, internal modem is not necessary. one serial port is enough
>because i don't think many people will use the modem and the printer at the
>same time.

  Ok, I'll agree that a "student" model, with most of the above specs would be
a good addition.  16mhz '030, internal floppy, and mono screen (passive, of
course) are fine for "student" buyers.  However, when Apple is selling in the
college arena, it will often mention the modem abilities of Macs.  Heaven
knows how much I use my modem, and the constant busy signal at the U tells me
that many other people use modems too.  I also use a printer, and I'm sure most
people use printers more than modems, but if they want to use both, they'd
need a switch box (something more to lug around) or constantly unplug cords,
which would quickly wear out the connectors on the Mac, causing for a short
lifetime, much less than a typical college stay.  So, I would recommend both
ports.

>2. those who already have a desktop mac and like a powerbook on the road. for
>those guys, a powerbook only a serial port is enough. if a person already have
>a full function mac, he does not need SCSI, floppy or ADB for the portable, as
>long as he has the serial port to set up a small network so he can exchange
>files between the two macs. it will not have a internal floppy and doen't even
>need a ext. floppy port! a 16 mhz(like pb100) 68000 is enough! with a price low
>enough, all the owners of IIsi and up will have one.

  Ok, this could be the upper end of the "student" market (those who already
have a desktop Mac, but would like something to take to class to make others
jealous, use out on the mall when the weather is nice, and to take it home
on Thanksgiving and Springs breaks), and the part of the business market with
machines already installed.
  Many people would be able to use the above machine and love it to death, but
a certain amount of this segment need a bit more.  (I'm in this segment - I
have a IIsi on my desk and a PB160 on order.)  One group would be the
programmer segment.  I absolutely need some form of external drive so that I
can boot my computer after I've trashed the drive.  A Duo 210 initially looked
nice to me, but having to pay extra $$$ for an external drive and adapter made
a PB160 a better choice.  As a programmer, I frequently trash my IIsi.  I need
to be able to restart when I'm away from other Macs.  A person who travels and
during these travels needs to exchange data with PC cohorts would also need an
external SuperDrive, as would the person who will be loading new software away
from friendly disk drives.

>price? i think the one for the first group could have a price of around 1200,
>the one for the second group cost 500, both at 4/40 configuration.

  Seeing that PB100's only hit 700 or so when the fire sale hit, and then
they went like hot cakes, I would think that 600 would be more reasonable.
Give the little sucker the ability to take Duo mememory and hit something
like 20megs of memory, of which you'd use about 10 or so as a ram disk, and
you'd have a great seller.

  Now about the choice I made - a PowerBook 160:

  I'm rather happy with what my forthcoming PB160 has on it.  I want a built-
in floppy.  ADB, printer and modem ports are necessities in my book - I want
to use my Carrier deck keyboard and mouse when I'm at home; I would like to
AppleTalk my 160 to my IIsi when at home base, and, at the same time, use the
SupraFAXModem I already have - no need to spend $400 more on an internal modem
when I do all my modem calls from home.  The video out is nice, and I will
use it every now and then when I need 2 monitors, but I didn't need this
feature badly.  The thing that put the 145 out of the running was the 4 megs
installed and the ability to go to 8 megs (a nice number, IMHO) for about $200
more.  (Another reason - but it may not be correct.  I swear I read somewhere
that the new PBs (160, 180) had improved power management facilities.  I didn't
want to get a 140 on steriods that would drain juice faster than a 160.)

  (Okay - I just went and read one of those "newspapers" that Apple prints
when they release a lareg number of new machines.  The paper mentions new
power saving techniques for the Duos, but not for the "conventionals".  Anyone
know if any of this technology from the Duo made it into the 160 and 180?)

|--------------------------------|    "If you were happy all of your life,
|      J. Taggart Gorman Jr.     |     you wouldn't be human - you'd be a
| jtgorman@caslon.cs.arizona.edu |     game show host."
|--------------------------------|             Winona Ryder, in _Heathers_