Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!UCONNVM.BITNET!SEWALL
From: SEWALL@UCONNVM.BITNET (Murph Sewall)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: Souped-Up GS
Message-ID: <8908271708.aa12671@SMOKE.BRL.MIL>
Date: 27 Aug 89 21:47:22 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 45

>As a person with some good sources myself, and a rumor collector like
>you, may I suggest that you do a little double checking about the
>status of the Mac IIci....... Yes, it was to be announced at the  9/20
>thing at Universal theater, but from what I am getting, it has now been
>placed on a back burner, Apple possibly yeilding to the Wall Street
>pressure NOT to do it this year, where the experts fear it will KILL the
>market for the IIcx before Apple gets back it's R&D money etc..

Anything's possible, I suppose.  After all, IBM delayed announcing the
portable Model 70 for a few weeks after pictures and reviews of it had
appeared in the trade press.  However, I don't think delaying the IIci
for financial or market reasons at this juncture would make much sense.
First, the machine (including its performance characteristics and price)
is no secret.  Those who are going to wait for the IIci in preference to
the IIcx will wait anyway.  The IIci has some features besides greater
speed that the IIcx doesn't, but the machines are similar enough that
I doubt it's really possible to divide R&D investments among the two,
besides Wall Streeters generally are more sophisticated about 'sunk costs.'
Holding up the IIci will simply delay realizing a return on the investment
developing the 25 MHz Mac.

Another reason I expect to see the IIci this Fall is Apple plans to introduce
a whole new line of Mac II's after January First (the principal difference will
be a 20 MHz NuBus).  Delaying the IIci will simply push back the whole
schedule.  From here, that doesn't appear condusive to maximizing the
cash flow (which is what recovering R&D is all about).

There may be technical reasons for delaying the IIci (FCC certification,
production line glitches, etc.) but if Wall Street is given as an excuse,
I'll suspect a "smoke screen."

>Will you be at the user group breakfeast at Applefest???

No, but you may see our Club's giant economy size cherub (and Apple
Ambassador -- or whatever title they've given him) George Carbonell there.

Murph Sewall                       Vaporware? ---> [Gary Larson returns 1/1/90]
Prof. of Marketing     Sewall@UConnVM.BITNET
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