Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!maverick.ksu.ksu.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!m.cs.uiuc.edu!gillies
From: gillies@m.cs.uiuc.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: Mac owners guilt at Mac high pr
Message-ID: <70400026@m.cs.uiuc.edu>
Date: 12 Jul 90 18:12:00 GMT
References: <185739@<1990Jul11>
Lines: 21
Nf-ID: #R:<1990Jul11:185739:m.cs.uiuc.edu:70400026:000:1078
Nf-From: m.cs.uiuc.edu!gillies    Jul 12 13:12:00 1990


> It's true, we did a comparison of buying a Mac to buying an IBM or
> Compaq with nearly identical features and the Mac won hands down.  Go
> out and buy yourself a large two page display for an IBM sometime!

Furthermore, when the Mac II was released, it was cheaper (under
university discounts) AND faster than ANY comparably-equipped clone
(only 16Mhz 80386's were available in '87).  The clone needs VGA, a
high-quality monitor, mouse, serial ports, MS-Windows, more memory,
expansion slots, and a sound synthesizer, to equal a Mac II.

However, this has not been true of the 68000-based macintoshes.  Today
a decent '286 PC with 40Mb hard disk, CGA color, mouse, and serial
ports costs about $1500.  For $1900 bucks you can get a small-screen
black/white/crippled macintosh with a pathetically slow (65ms) and
loud 20Mb hard disk.

When the SE was released, the production cost was estimated by
MacWorld Magazine to be $400-$500 per machine.  Three years later, I'd
guess an SE/20Mb costs Apple $550-$650 to manufacture.  You'd think
Apple could survive on a 100% markup.