From: akhiani@ricks.enet.dec.com (Homayoon Akhiani)
Subject: Re: Farewell to the Mac? (not flame)
Reply-To: akhiani@ricks.enet.dec.com (Homayoon Akhiani)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 00:54:22 GMT


In article <trimble.722112979@ph-meter.beckman.uiuc.edu>, trimble@ph-meter.beckman.uiuc.edu (Chris Trimble) writes:
|>Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware
|>From: trimble@ph-meter.beckman.uiuc.edu (Chris Trimble)
|>Subject: Re: Farewell to the Mac? (not flame)
|>
|>model03@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu (John Deke) writes:
|>
|>>	Do you think the Mac will be phased out?
|>
|>  Apple will probably try to keep the CISCs alive for the first couple of
|>  years after PowerPC, but I highly doubt it will last. People will quickly
|>  realize the benefits of the PowerPC and jump in instead of buying CISCs.
|>  If Apple wants to win over its customers, they should offer an upgrade
|>  path from the CISCs, which, unlike the IIcx/i -> Quadra upgrade would be
|>  REASONABLY PRICED. 
|>

The brings up a good point, POWER PC is a complete new architecture.  That means
all my current software is junk! because they will not run on PowerPC.
Most likely, Apple will have something like SoftPC to run the old 68xxx software
on PowerPC.  But this will be slow.  Imagine running MSwindows with SoftPC 
on Quadra.  
I don't think you can compare the situatuion with Apple II days. 
Apple II software was limited.  Mac software is all over the place.

|>  Furthermore, Apple does to the Mac owners what they've done to
|>  Apple // owners about 5 times as often. Every 6 months Apple outdates
|>  the models of 6 months ago. Just look at the line right now! 

I bought a IIsi last year.  "At that time", it was the "lowest priced machine", 
that had most of the "feature that I need".  
I also bought a PB100 4/40 at the price club for $899.
The important factor is how much you are willing to pay for performing your 
task? 

|>  anyone buy a Quadra 700 with the 800 coming out in January? Why should
|>  anyone buy a IIvx with the Centris (whatever) coming out in January?
|>  This kind of anticipation game is what has kept me from buying a Mac for
|>  so long.

Now a days, My rule of tumb in chosing a machine is:
 *"quality of the software available at the time I am buying my hardware"
   I am paying now for the hardware, I want the software at the same time.
 *"Do I really need the performance?"
   Example: If I am writing a letter, the time it takes to finish it on a 
   Quadra 950 is same as a Mac Classic. 
   (please don't say that "what if" the letter has a color picture in it. 
    When was the last time you mailed a letter with a color picture in it?)

look, PowerPC is great, but do you really can use the extra power? 
can you afford to buy it? can you get the software you need to run on it?

look at the PC, intel will create faster and faster x86 chips, no matter what.
IBM and the rest on clones will produce faster and faster x86 PC 
Motorola will create faster and faster 68xxx and Apple will make faster Mac II
and Quadra's.  
The major factor in Personal Computer world are:
  1st: cheap software 
  2nd: cheap hardware

 
--
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Homayoon Akhiani                               "Turning Ideas into ... Reality"
Digital Equipment Corporation                        "Alpha, The New Beginning"
77 Reed Rd. Hudson, MA 01701            "All Rights Reserved. Copyright(c)1992"
Email: akhiani@ricks.enet.dec.com     "The words are mine, and not my employer"
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