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From: certain@washington.cs.unc.edu (Andrew Certain)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple,comp.sys.mac,comp.sys.apple2
Subject: Re: Accepting the Mac (was Re: More Macweek Rumors)
Message-ID: <12667@thorin.cs.unc.edu>
Date: 16 Mar 90 22:53:39 GMT
References: <1848@crash.cts.com> <18491@boulder.Colorado.EDU>
Sender: news@thorin.cs.unc.edu
Reply-To: certain@washington.cs.unc.edu (Andrew Certain)
Organization: University Of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Lines: 45

In article <18491@boulder.Colorado.EDU> kuo@boulder.Colorado.EDU
(Andy Y.A. Kuo) writes:
>
>  I don't understand why AppleII users can't accept the Mac.  If Apple
>had not bothered with the GS but built a Mac that can run the 8bit
>AppleII softwares, then the "GS" that you are praising for would be
>the Mac.  Why can't you think of the Mac softwares as GS specific
>softwares -- since they can't run on a IIe anyway?  Why can't you
>think of the Mac as the "GS" -- since both are "new" architecture?
>
But Apple didn't do this, and we would have to abandon all our Apple II
software if we ran on a Mac.  The idea that GS-specific software is
like Mac software may, in some trivial way, hold some bit of merit, but
until you can run Apple II software on the Mac, the Mac and the GS aren't
both just "new" architectures.  The GS is a "new" architecture with backwards
compatibility, while the Mac is as different from the Apple II as far as
software compatibility goes as a 386 machine.  To say the Mac should be
thought of as a new Apple II is like giving you a Mac III that won't run
any of the current Mac software.  How willing would you be to making the
switch?

>  Another thing I don't understand is the idea that Apple isn't 
>supporting the AppleII line.  There has been more OS upgrades
>for the GS, no Mac user has ever complained about it.  Apple made
>the video overlay card for the GS, no Mac user has ever complained
>about it.  Are you just hard to please?  Are you being reasonable
>at all?
>

Let's take stock here.  WHen the GS came out in, I believe, 1986, the top
of the line Mac was an SE.  That means there have been 5 new Mac models
(the II, IIx, IIcx, IIci and SE/30) relesed since then with NO new
Apple II models released.  That sounds to me like a lack of support.  Think
about how much you would complain if Apple didn't release a new Mac for
4 years while release 5 new models on another line.  I don't think we're
being hard to please.  I think you're not seeing both sides of the issue.


I really wish Apple would put out a card that would allow us to run our
Apple II software on a Mac II, and merge the two lines, but even though
there would be a hugh market out there, I don't see it happening.


Andrew Certain
certain@cs.unc.edu