Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uwm.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!apple!sun-barr!newstop!sun!concertina!fiddler
From: fiddler%concertina@Sun.COM (Steve Hix)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: Apple's committment to the // line
Message-ID: <126255@sun.Eng.Sun.COM>
Date: 12 Oct 89 23:10:45 GMT
References: <14000013@bucc2>
Sender: news@sun.Eng.Sun.COM
Lines: 60

In article <14000013@bucc2>, heart@bucc2.UUCP writes:
> 
> I would just like to take the time to say that I believe that Apple
> is making a grave mistake in abandoning the Apple // line.  I know
> they giving up on it because:

Apple has been unwilling to pursue any aggressive development of the
// line since before the Mac was introduced.  (This said knowing full
well the attitude of many excellent engineers in the //'s engineering
groups.)

The // will continue to be sold, mostly as is, as long as people keep
on buying the over-priced product.  It would take a major effort, and
cash expenditure, to update the line to convert the gs to something
relatively competitive in the current marketplace.  An effort that
upper management at Apple has no intention of doing.

If sales dry up, you might see prices go down long enough to flush
current inventory out the door.  Don't hold your breath for any more
than that.

> I think that Apple should give their // line of computers a serious upgrade
> such as the ever rumored GS+.  A new // need a clock speed of AT LEAST 8mhz
> with 1meg ram, a built in 3.5" drive, serial, scsi, and at least one 
> PARALLEL port built in.  

Why a parallel port?  Except on PC's, nobody much in any part of the
industry is much interested in parallel devices.  Least of all anything from
Apple.  There's no performance advantage for printers, very little (if any)
price adavantage, and most other hardware either is or will be in the
future serial.  (Of course, if you *have* a parallel device of some sort,
your feeling would be pretty strong about such.)  That's what slots are for.

> Also, the price must come down from the insane price of the GS.

Don't hold your breath...

> If Apple is going to continue to ignore obviously needed upgrades in it's
> original line of computers, they should SELL THE LINE to a company who
> will take the time and make the effort to continue pushing it to it's limit 
> and giving the customers the support that they probably need and definately
> want.

Don't plan on it.  Some egos would be bruised of someone else could make a
go at // follow-ons.  There's a lot of "if I can't have it, nobody can"
involved here.

Remember the Apple ///?

Maybe Sun Remarketing in Utah will get a big new line to handle.  Probably
not, though.

I *wish* I were wrong.

	seh
------------
"...I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by 
reorganizing: and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion 
of progress, while producing confusion, inefficiency and demoralization."
	- Petronius Arbiter, 210 B.C.