From: bskendig@netcom.com (Brian Kendig)
Subject: Re: II vx Vs Ci
Organization: Starfleet Headquarters: San Francisco
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 04:32:47 GMT

arsouth@watson.ibm.com (Andrew R. Southwick) writes:
>
>Feature                 IIvx:           IIci:
>------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Model                   4/80            5/80
>Processor Speed         32 MHz          25 MHz

Bus Speed                16 MHz          25 MHz

>Processor               68030           68030
>FPU                     68882           68882
>External Cache          32K             128K
>External Bus Width      16 bits         32 bits

Incorrect.  Both machines have a 32-bit bus.

>Soldered RAM            4M              0M
>RAM SIMM slots          4 (1 bank)      8 (2 banks)
>Included RAM            0M              5M

IIvx memory configurations: (0, 1, 4, 8, 16, 64) + 4
IIci memory configurations: (0, 1, 4, 8, 16, 64) + (0, 1, 4, 8, 16, 64)

>ROM                     ?               512K

The IIvx has 1024k ROMs.

>32-bit clean ROM?       Yes             Yes
>NuBUS slots             2?              3

The IIvx has 3 NuBus slots and one accelerator slot.

>Built-in video res      832x624         640x480 (or portrait at 4bits)

The IIvx internal video can only support 640x400 maximum.  With 512k
VRAM it can display 8-bit color on this; with 1Mb VRAM it can display
16-bit color.

>Built-in video depth    16 bits *       8 bits
>HD access time          ?               20 ms
>Sound input             Mic +IIci ->    44.1 kHz stereo 8-bit sampling
>Software sampling       same as IIci -> 22kHz, 8 bit, stereo

The IIci has stereo output from the sound chip.  The IIvx can only
synthesize mono sound, although the CD models can play stereo CD's in
stereo.

>Sound output            Sound jack      Sound jack
>Cost                    $2355           $2155
>
>IIvx: 4/80 512K VRAM    $2355 13" monitor at 8 bits per pixel (256 colors)
>IIvx: 5/80CD 1M VRAM    $2570 16" at 16
>IIvx: 4/230 512K VRAM   $2650 13" at 8
>IIci: 5/80 20ms         $2155 13" at 8
>IIci: 5/0               $2015 "
>IIci: 5/230             $2450 "

Real world prices seem are maybe $400-$500 more than these educational ones.

>There are currently a lot of accelerator cards out there, and if you
>decide to upgrade, the ci's 32-bit external bus will pull it ahead.  And
>if you add in 24-bit support for a 16" or larger monitor, the built-in
>video advantage of the IIvx goes away.  I am considering both options, so
>the IIci looks like a better deal to me.  16" monitors run around $1000
>(Apple's is $1090), and I WANT ONE! :)

The IIci may very well be discontinued next February, whereas Apple
has promised to offer an upgrade path to the Centris 650.  Note,
though, that the IIci->Quadra 700 upgrade costs only $300 less than
buying a Quadra 700, so I don't expect the C650 upgrade to be cheap! :(

-- 
_/_/_/  Brian Kendig                             Je ne suis fait comme aucun
 _/_/  bskendig@netcom.com                de ceux que j'ai vus; j'ose croire
  _/                            n'etre fait comme aucun de ceux qui existent.
      Nolite te bastardes    Si je ne vaux pas mieux, au moins je suis autre.
        carborundorum.                                           -- Rousseau