Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!ucsd!ucbvax!@GACVAX1.BITNET:youngdah@nic.gac.EDU From: @GACVAX1.BITNET:youngdah@nic.gac.EDU (youngdah) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2 Subject: An open letter to all Apple II lovers/Apple Bashers Message-ID: <9005052223.AA05142@next-5.gac.edu> Date: 5 May 90 22:23:17 GMT References: <9005052043.AB05605@nic.gac.edu> Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: The Internet Lines: 51 > The reason I and most other Apple users are so frustrated at > Apple is that a Super Apple // would not be a difficult task. Faster > chips exist, ASIC promises more, third party companies on limited > budgets continue to make miracles, and the hardware glitches are not > undefeatable challenges. Apple has the resources, but they squander it > on lousy marketing on the Macintosh and executive feuding. And then > they pass along the excuse that the Apple // is obsolete. I feel exactly the same way. The Apple II line has excellent development potential, ... it certainly hasn't reached a dead end with the fast 65816s that are now available, not to mention the potential for a 65832 in the future. And who would disagree that it wouldn't be possible to make a ROM 4 machine (or whatever) with better graphics if Apple just looked at the incredible FTP demos: Super Harrier, Nucleus GS, and Photonix? They blow away programs that use Apple's tools/routines without any additional hard- ware. Go figure! > It is a crime that the Amiga is known for its music capabilities when > the //gs has a much more powerful sound chip. But Apple let it slide. This is very true. The Apple IIgs has the best sound potential of any other stock computer on the market. 32 oscillators / Sampling are an unbeatable combo. But the GS has been out there for 4 years. Where are those fantastic MIDI programs, those incredible Synthesizer-Emulation applications? On the Amiga. If Apple had just shown some enthusiasm in the IIgs's music ability when the computer first came out we might have had something like SoundSmith 3 years ago. But who would disagree that Apple didn't want to see one cent of the money and one second of the software development leave the large Mac music forum to go to its "embarising" brother, the Apple IIgs? Its amazing that Apple can simply ignore so many disgrunteled customers. Any other company that tried that would probably get canned in an instant. It seems, however, that many of us II users have been using this computer line for quite awhile. We remember Apple when we'd argue long and hard to protect its reputaton. We remember when it was Apple II vs. Big Blue... Not Apple II vs. Apple. What we as users have to remember is not to be blind to Apple's change. The Apple computer that we deal with today is not the same Apple computer that we knew and loved 3-12 years ago. I hope someone from Apple is actually reading these messages and taking note of what we all are discussing... otherwise, we mine as well just quit this discussion on Apple computer's naughtiness right now, save the band- width, and go back to answering each other's questions. After all, it seems that we, the Apple II users, have become the "Apple II support" specialists. Not Apple. Ben Youngdahl YOUNGDAHL@GACVAX1.BITNET