Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!microsoft!brianw From: brianw@microsoft.UUCP (Brian Willoughby) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple Subject: Speedy WDC Chips (was Re: Apple II Users) Summary: Investment in the future Message-ID: <9032@microsoft.UUCP> Date: 15 Nov 89 02:51:04 GMT References: <8911100901.aa28335@SMOKE.BRL.MIL> Reply-To: brianw@microsoft.UUCP (Brian Willoughby) Organization: Microsoft Corp., Redmond WA Lines: 65 In article <8911100901.aa28335@SMOKE.BRL.MIL> UD041948@VM1.NODAK.EDU (Joe Carlin) writes: >Are they just really stupid in the head to work together enough on it or >what? I can't believe that. People say that a 7 Mhz TransWarp GS is the >best investment they ever made, can you imagine what 10 Mhz will do? I >mean, the only, and I mean the_very one and only reason_ I'm holding out >of buying a TransWarp is because they don't have the 10 Mhz version. > >Joe Concerning the three companies working together, I don't know what their problem is. If Apple Co., AE and WDC would all sit down and plan the development of the 65C8xx, then I'm sure the performance would be more advanced than it is now. WDC just isn't large enough to gamble money by overproducing 65C816 chips, hoping that someone will pay for them. AE seems like a sturdy company, but they are still very small: they can't foot the entire bill, either. Apple has the bucks, but I think that they are scared to death by the way they handled the recent RAM shortage and wildly fluctuating RAM prices. If Apple would only consider that there is no single best way to handle all IC sources, and stop treating 65xxx processors as if they were RAM chips (i.e. potential liabilities if prices drop), then they could invest in WDC and get what their user base wants (needs). I'm not claiming to know about markets, but I don't see how investing in WDC could be anything but a good idea for Apple. RAM chips have MANY suppliers in several countries, and any one can undercut the other or dump old stock. WDC is currently the ONLY maker of the 65C8xx line, so there is no danger of the wildly fluctuating prices which might ruin a good investment. Even if another company were to start up in the 65C8xx line, they still couldn't threaten to damage any investment that Apple might make in WDC. Basically, while investing in a particular RAM manufacturer opens a company up to the possibility of becoming unable to compete with other computer manufacturers (i.e. when the prices drop and they are stuck with relatively expensive materials), investing in the only source of a component is actually insurance for the future as well as a good way to advance the performance of a product. Well, I'm off the soapbox on that subject. I don't see any reason not to buy the TransWarp GS. If you have a GS, then you can't lose anything by purchasing one now. The replacement processor is less than $20, and the crystal is the only other hardware that determines the speed. Why don't you thank AE for designing for the future and buy one now? Your purchase can only help AE and the Western Design Center keep up their enhancements. Compared to the current $280 price tag, $20 (or less) is a small price to pay for the higher speed. Besides, you get to enjoy the TransWarp until then! At least you aren't in my boat. Because of the design of the original TransWarp, I will never be able to speed up beyond 3.58 MHz - not without buying an entirely new card. I have a 10 MHz 65C802, but nowhere to use it. If I ever get a GS, I'll be happy that AE learned how to allow user upgrades to the TransWarp GS as processors get faster. So I would buy a TransWarp GS, and upgrade as higher speeds become available. If everyone refused to buy a product because something better was on the way, then no technical product line would ever make any money for a company and they would have to shut down. The TransWarp GS is NOT the ONLY AE product that has been improved, just think about what might have happened if nobody bought AE's early products! Brian Willoughby UUCP: ...!{tikal, sun, uunet, elwood}!microsoft!brianw InterNet: microsoft!brianw@uunet.UU.NET or: microsoft!brianw@Sun.COM Bitnet brianw@microsoft.UUCP