Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!ut-emx!ibmchs!auschs!awdprime!sabre.austin.ibm.com!robin
From: robin@sabre.austin.ibm.com (Robin D. Wilson/1000000)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Info on new low-end Mac
Message-ID: <2841@awdprime.UUCP>
Date: 23 Jul 90 13:41:58 GMT
References: <46200101@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu> <1990Jul19.133752.5611@uunet!unhd> <27545@athertn.Atherton.COM>
Sender: news@awdprime.UUCP
Reply-To: robin@reed.UUCP (Robin D. Wilson/1000000)
Distribution: usa
Organization: IBM AWD, Austin, TX
Lines: 43

In article <27545@athertn.Atherton.COM> paul@Atherton.COM (Paul Sander) writes:
>I've been shopping around for the past few months for a new machine, and I've
>been considering the A3000, comparing it with the Mac IIci.  The current
>street prices (yes, some of us _do_ visit dealers to buy computers) for the
>A3000 (with 100 MB disk) is about $3500 (US), excluding monitor and any
>additional accessories and taxes.  A stripped-down Mac IIci also goes for
>about $3500; the additional costs to make it "hardware-equivalent" to the
>A3000 are:  $100 for 1MB RAM, $1200 for 160 MB disk, $180 for extended
>keyboard.  Okay, the Mac is $1480 more expensive than the Amiga, but many
>people believe the extra cost is justified because of the increased
>availability of quality applications, widespread support, better-informed
>dealer staff, etc. etc.  The lower-end Mac-compatible monitors seem to be
>competitive in price with those available for the Amiga.
>
>Note:  This is not a flame for or against any machine.  They're just my
>observations during my recent visits to the local stores.

Ahhh,.. But you compare the "Top of the line" Amiga with a middle of the line 
Mac.  Even so, the Amy out-performs the IIci by quite a bit in graphics, sound
"raw power", and several other areas.  And as for "increased availability of
quality applications" that's just one person's opinion.  I personally find that
"most" Mac software is written to work on the lowely Mac Plus, so it usually 
is missing something onthe MacII line.  Also, the stuff that isn't written 
for the lowest common denominator, is in the $400-800 range... not very 
pretty.  (BTW, I grant that the Amiga software is all written to work on 
the "lowely" A500, but that machine is on par with the original MacII --
in terms of everything EXCEPT raw power.)  In pure performance power, you 
should probably compare the A3000 -- 16Mhz. version, and then add an extra
$1000 to the difference in price for "comparable" software.

Oh yeah... don't forget, you still can't multitask, and if you opt for UNIX,
your stuck with a Sys V rel 2. (plus Apple enhancements that make it more or
less non-standard... kind of like IBM's AIX).  


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