From: skwong@cuse1.se.cuhk.hk (Wong Sai Kee (Graduate Assistant))
Subject: Re: comp.sys.mac.misc
Organization: Faculty of Engineering, The Chinese U. of Hong Kong
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 07:57:21 GMT

jdavis@kean.ucs.mun.ca writes:

>In article <1992Nov21.020604.224@physc1.byu.edu>, seth@physc1.byu.edu writes:
>> I have heard the rumors that one of the new up-coming machines Apple will soon
>> be releasingis a 20 MHz 040 machine, but WITHOUT the fpu on board. Is this
>> true? If it is then WOE unto us, my brethren! Apple must be going the way of
>> Intel faster and faster! Does this mean that Apple will soon sell you a
>> 68883 "math-coprocessor" a la Intel's 487, which in fact is a fully functional
>> 486 chip which effectively wrests control of the motherboard from the 486SX?
>> I really HATE (read in to this statement as much disgust as you can dream of)
>> companies that intentioanlly CRIPPLE their cpus in an attempt to please their
>> marketing a-holes. I know a company needs to make a profit to survive, and I
>> am not averse to paying a fair price for a product, but CRIPPLING a product
>> is just too much! That would be funny to see Motorola come up with a 68883
>> which was just a fully functional 040 to provide buyers of this machine with
>>  a "math-coprocessor." I understand (sort of) them making a IIsi 20 MHz so that
>> it wouldn't hurt the IIci's sales, and I understand also why they made the LC
>> a 16-bit bus machine, so as to prove that it truly was a low-end mac. What I
>> just can't fathom is WHY they made the IIvx a 16-bit bus machine?!? I just 
>> don't know. I have high hopes every time Apple releases new machines, and it
>> seems that they disappoint way too often. It's as if they are afraid that as
>> soon as they come out with a FAST machine for a low price they will never
>> sell a high-end machine again. Maybe they were too worried that if they made
>> the IIvx a full 32-bit bus machine nobody would buy Q-700s anymore. (I doubt
>> it) If anybody has figured those Apple marketing types out yet, please let me
>> know, as I just can't understand their logic. I personally would LOVE to buy
>> a machine that had maybe just one expansion slot (I have a IIsi, and apart 
>> from an fpu and a cache have not used the slot for anything at all yet), a
>> small, trim, case, just 4 simm sockets, etc., just like the low-end machines
>> they have out now, but with a full 32-bit bus and maybe a 20 or 25 MHz 040, 
>> but Apple's marketing types would NEVER let it happen.

I agree with you.  It seems Apple Inc. want to set up an image: our
machine will not fall in price, so, dear customer, you have no hope to
buy a cheaper IIci 3 years later, and you don't need to worry the price
falling such that you got lost after you buy the Mac . . .
May be there is no need to debate the trading strategy, you just do what
you want to.

But I love Mac very much and hate this strategy.  For example, I think
Mac SE/30 is quite good, there is no need to discontinue it, just cut
the selling price every year according to manufacturing cost.  Why cut
SE/30 and produce a Classic II, isn't it consuming extra engineering
effort and production material? In turn opposing "save resources, save
our earth"?

I have a Mac IIsi, if Apple drop the price by half after 3 years, I won't
unhappy.  I didn't get lost, cause the IIsi serve my for 3 years!

I was disappointed by Mac LC, vx, vi.

Any way, I'm happy to hear that Apple with make a color Classic.  I love
the exterior design of Lisa & Classic.

>Fortunitly I think you are mistaken on both accounts: The 68040 has
>built-in FPU nd I am fairly sure the ][vx has a 32 bit bus because
>the Performa 600 has it, and the MacUser Review of the ][vx didn't
>metion anythng about it.  
> 
>                                        Riff Raff
>                                       The Crypto-Communist 
Xref: sparky comp.sys.mac.misc:19383 comp.sys.mac.system:14225 comp.sys.mac.programmer:18658