From: erics@infoserv.com (Eric S. Smith)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware
Subject: Re: Performa 600 - not a cripple!
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 92 09:10:30 PDT
Organization: Reigning Cats and Dogs
Reply-To: erics@infoserv.com
X-Mailer: uAccess - Macintosh Release: 1.6v1


kanefsky@halcyon.com (Steve Kanefsky) writes:

> erics@infoserv.com writes:

> >kanefsky@halcyon.com (Steve Kanefsky) writes:

> >> erics@infoserv.com writes:

> >> >As I said, it's a matter of taste. I don't give a damn about radiation
> >> >characteristics.

> >> That's like saying you don't give a damn how much your car pollutes the
> >> atmosphere.  Maybe someone *else* cares how much your car pollutes the
> >> atmosphere.

> >Give me a break. *How* is "polluting"  the radio spectrum like polluting
> >the atmosphere? Does it add to the greenhouse effect? What a ridiculous
> >comparison.

> Obviously, the greenhouse effect is specific to atmospheric pollution.
> Surely you don't think that's the only kind of pollution?  Do you believe
> that noise is a form of pollution?  If an airport were built next to your
> house, and jet planes were to fly over at low altitude every 5 minutes,
> wouldn't that affect your ability to function normally?  What if a
> next-door neighbor interfered with your ability to receive radio and
> television broadcasts?  Regardless of whether you think pollution is the
> right word for it, we all have a certain amount of responsibility not to
> interfere in the lives of other people if we can help it.

There's a big difference between radio interference and air pollution.
If my IIci is putting out radio interference, and I turn it off, the
interference is gone. End of story. But when I drive to work and I turn
off my car, the carbon monoxide and other pollutants I've released into
the atmosphere are still there. The point being that unless the IIci
is creating radio interference that is being experienced as a problem,
it's not a problem. It won't hang long around after the machine is turned
off to create a problem later.

> What you said sounded like you couldn't care less what effect you had on
> others, as long as it didn't bother *you*.

> >I seriously doubt that my IIci is interfering with any licensed users
> >of the radio spectrum. 

> Me too.  I was responding to your statement that you didn't care if it
> did.

No; if there's a problem then it should be dealt with. But I don't think
there *is* a problem, that was what I meant. The statement was in the
context of a choice between plastic and metal cases. My point was the choice
is just a personal preference, and not something like a faster processor
that gives one machine a clear advantage over the other. The statement
about "radiation characteristics" was that I don't see it as being an
advantage for the P600/IIvx over the IIci.

> >Well, that's just the way it is then. Long live plastic cases, that's
> >what I say, in my inconsiderate manner. What a stupid argument. If Apple
> >could manufacture plastic cases cheaper than metal ones, I expect they
> >wouldn't be any too concerned about the radio spectrum either.

> I think you'll find that Apple cares a GREAT DEAL about FCC
> certification of their products, and that FCC certification and a
> device's impact on the radio spectrum go hand-in-hand.

Exactly so. And Apple's been making machines with plastic cases for what,
fifteen years now? Did they just come about this caring a GREAT DEAL
in the last few months? No, I think economics played a much GREATER
DEAL in their reasons for manufacturing the P600/IIvx with a metal case.
But as I said I think the "radiation considerations" argument for choosing
a P600 has no merit. I don't think that my IIci, sitting in my house,
poses any great threat to anyone's radio spectrum. I certainly haven't
noticed any interference on any of my own equipment.

If I were in the market for one of these machines today, I would still
choose the IIci, and the plastic case would be one of the reasons, because
personally I prefer it to the metal one. I wouldn't give a damn about
"radiation characteristics", not because I'm inconsiderate, but because
I don't see that as a real issue when deciding between the two machines.

-----
Eric Smith
erics@infoserv.com
CI$: 70262,3610