Path: utzoo!yunexus!ists!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cornell!batcomputer!rpi!nyser!rodan!wwtaroli
From: wwtaroli@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Bill Taroli)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Affordable Macs?
Keywords: mac affordable (cheap) education low-end thanks
Message-ID: <1384@rodan.acs.syr.edu>
Date: 17 Nov 89 19:11:54 GMT
Article-I.D.: rodan.1384
References: <254@spt.entity.com> <127995@sun.Eng.Sun.COM>
Reply-To: wwtaroli@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Bill Taroli)
Organization: Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Lines: 23

In article <127995@sun.Eng.Sun.COM> fiddler%concertina@Sun.COM (Steve Hix) writes:
>Why? (Other than the obvious issue of cost, a 68020 or, better, an '030
>would give the headless Mac owners(oops...that should be HeadlessMac) 
>more confidence in having their machine be useful for a longer time.  This
>particularly in light of the announced direction that the System/Finder
>is going.  Why make a machine *now* that won't be able to use some of 
>the more desirable features of 7.0, which is already (pre-)announced.

I don't think that this is necessarily the case.  Apple knew for a while
that System 7.0 was going to provide things like virtual memory and still
decided to go with a lower power CMOS 68000 in the Portable.  So, if you view
the Portable in light of System 7.0, then Apple built an obselescent machine
(a view I do not subscribe to).  Also, I think Apple realizes that everyone
is not going to jump on the System 7.0 bandwagon.  Sure, it will provide many
new an interesting features.  BUT, with it comes the requirement that there
be 2 Megs of memory and that you have a 68020 or > to use virtual memory (which
is not an inherent limitation of 7.0, but the MC68000 itself).  So, building
a "new" machine with a 68000 in it will certainly not put it up there with
the IIcx and IIci, but it will allow Apple to price it more appropriately with
the Plus and SE machines... were you really expecting a 68030 for $999??

Bill Taroli
WWTAROLI@RODAN.acs.syr.edu