From: mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: Which Mac should I buy?
Date: 12 Oct 92 22:50:48 GMT
Followup-To: comp.sys.mac.misc

In article <ldi99fINNfak@cronkite>, scottw@boulder.Central.Sun.COM (Scott
Wiesner) wrote:
> 
> After years of working in software industry, it's time for me to break down
> and get a machine for home use.  Main uses will be word processing, terminal
> emulation, financial management, and games.  There's no question in my mind
> that the Mac is the right choice for this home "information appliance", but
> the question is, which Mac?  I've read this group for a month, but haven't
> seen a FAQ, so I'm hoping some kind people will take the time to answer a few
> questions.
> 
> Since I won't be doing anything "high end", and I don't want to spend a fortune,
> I've been thinking about the low end machines.  I've always had a fondness for the 
> "classic" versions.  An all-in-one package with a sharp screen seems like a
> nice possibility.  Other than the obvious, am I losing anything by not having
> color?  Are there any Mac programs (including games) that require either color
> or the higher resolution found on the color screens?  In the workstation world,
> people would laugh at such low resolution, but from what I've seen it's quite
> usable on a Mac.
> 
> Is 4MB of RAM enough for the kind of work I'll do?  Is 80 MB of disk enough to
> have a usable system?  Again, on workstations, it would be a joke, but will it
> leave me feeling cramped in the Mac world?

For the work that you described that you will be doing, 4/80 is enough. 
However, if it is not, the Classic II and the Peforma 200 (which are
identical machines) can be upgraded to ten Megs, I believe.  The LC II
(Performa 400) can also.  These are the low-end Macs.  Also, you can add
external drives via the SCSI port to any of them if you find that 80 megs
is not enough.

> Since I'm looking at the low end of the line, I need to make a choice about 
> buying a Classic II or a Performa 200, etc.  The Performa versions *seem* like
> a much better deal with its bundled software and on-site service.  What are
> the going prices for Classic II's, LC II's, etc., at places like Fry's?  Is
> anything missing on the Performas?  Macworld mentions "DAL" not being included.

Whole Earth Access is selling the Classic II for $995, and I saw a Performa
200 in Wards for $1500 yesterday.

> What is it?  How many different bundles are there?  I've seen mention of GreatWorks 
> and ClarisWorks.  Are these "Works" packages any good?

DAL is "Data Access Language," which is SQL access.  The Works packages are
all good (except for MS Works; it still lags behind the other three), but
I'm partial to ClarisWorks (my working for Claris probably has something to
do with that), and it seems that ClarisWorks is the choice of the
overwhelming majority of people who buy Works packages.

> Do all Macs (including Performas) come with Hypercard and the ability to read
> and write DOS floppies?  What internet machines contain archives of PD and 
> shareware software?  Is there any general concensus on additional software that's
> a "must" for any Mac user?

Macs now come with a read-only version of Hypercard, but models that have
been sitting on the dealers' shelves for a while have the full version
(with an easily-removable level limitation, and no substantial
documentation).  The Macs can read and write DOS disks via Apple File
Exchange, which is included.  However, if you are going to read and write
DOS disks a lot, I'd recommend getting AccessPC or PC Exchange, os you can
mount the disks on your desktop.

> What's the net wisdom on Mac-related magazines?  I've seen MacWorld and MacUser.
> Is it a toss-up between the two?  Are the any other magazines to consider?

It's a tossup.  No others unless you plan to program on the Mac; then
consider MacTutor.

> What have I left out?

Not much.

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Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc