Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!marque!studsys!stevej
From: stevej@studsys.mu.edu (jovanovic)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Hey Apple Mac engineers, I want an answerO!!
Keywords: DMA, coprocessing, improvements
Message-ID: <577@studsys.mu.edu>
Date: 3 Aug 89 18:22:59 GMT
Organization: Marquette University - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Lines: 54

Dear Apple,

As we all know, the Mac is a unique machine with some incredible software
as of yet unmatched on any other platform.  Software, and the Mac interface,
are great, but I'd really like to know what's up in hardware development?
I think that over the past few years you've had enough time to research, so
when are we going to see some new developments.

First, let's talk about multitasking.  Why is it that everyone in Apple
Land is swearing that OS/2 & Presentation Manager are slow and horrible,
and that the Mac interface is the ONLY religiously sanctioned way to go?
OS/2 & PM fly!! and PM is almost exactly like the Mac interface (hence the 
lawsuit).  Nevertheless, behind the interface you need some powerful silicon,
yet you have consistently refused to implement even such a simple thing as
DMA, even though you've had years in which to do it.  Multitasking is 
impossible without DMA, because virtual memory is a joke without disk DMA.
Aside from the software issues involved in multitasking, the Amiga will
outdo a Mac II performace wise with its myriad of coprocessors.  Come on, 
guys, everyone who has an Amiga laughs at Mac II owners when they compare
hardware.  Even an IBM PC has DMA.  It's not a new thing.  Also, DMA chips
aren't expensive, but I'm sure Apple Marketing will manage to forget that 
small fact when a new Mac comes out.  

OK, what about a video coprocessor.  You want to put a RISC chip on a 
NuBus card to handle video, right?  When!  We should have had this back
when the Mac II was first introduced!  Also, why is it that the Mac II
family's processors are run at 16MHz, but the NuBus only at 10MHz.  
NuBus standards, sure, but I think it's time to refine standards when they
impede design progress, don't you.  Steve Jobs has got it right.  25MHz
processor, 25MHz NuBus.

Finally, how about putting in a REAL processor in a new machine.  No more
16MHz, sorry I'm on my coffee break, 68020s and 68030s.  Give us 33MHz
processors, and for God's sake implement a large, fast SRAM cache!

I love my Mac II for the software it can run, but if the Amiga could run
all that software, I'd sell my Mac II and buy an Amiga in a nanosecond!
On the other hand, for its awesome power, I wouldn't mind having a NeXT
machine.  How hard can it be to keep up with the competition with your'
massive research and development budget.  Either innovate in hardware,
or be prepared to face the market consequences.  I'm ready to bet 
everything on NeXT!!

Show the readers of comp.sys.mac that you do care about them as Mac users
and will for once do something out of innovation's sake rather than greed's
sake.   Give us an answer to the issues raised in this posting, or don't
reply at all--that will definitely say something about the future of Apple
Computer!

                  Steve J
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