Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Path: utzoo!utstat!philip
From: philip@utstat.uucp (Philip McDunnough)
Subject: Re: new Apple II? (was: Re: KansasFest reviews anyone??)
Message-ID: <1990Aug10.004641.16619@utstat.uucp>
Date: Fri, 10 Aug 90 00:46:41 GMT
References: <8193@ncar.ucar.edu> <43767@apple.Apple.COM> <13509@smoke.BRL.MIL>
Organization: Statistics, U. of Toronto

In article <13509@smoke.BRL.MIL> gwyn@smoke.BRL.MIL (Doug Gwyn) writes:
[interpretation of Apple Developers' Meeting deleted] 
>renewing Apple II CPU
>development, going after the long-neglected personal computer user (as
>opposed to just schools), etc.

Well, the market for the "personal computer user" is not very large. In
fact there really isn't a market there.

What people seem to want in a "home computer" is something which is either
related to what their children use at school or something related to what
they do at work or a bit of both. Since most people don't want to work 24
hours a day, I suspect that they value their children more than they do
Lotus or Excel. As a consequence, a computer which is related to education,
is easy to operate, is fun, and can do a bit of work would appear to fit
the bill. In that sense IBM's PS/1 is aimed at the right market. I suspect
it will sell very well indeed. Not everyone needs a 386/030 computer at
home.

The AppleIIGS has become associated with the AppleII line for obvious
reasons, and this line does not have a very good image at the moment.
For what it's worth, Apple should drop the 8 bit line and concentrate
on a GS line. Forget the image associated with the AppleII. It's probably
too late to revive it. But a new line such as the Apple GS, AppleGS+,ec...
with slightly improved graphics, a bit faster,and an optional Mac SE type
board would be most appealing. If sold at a reasonable price, the GS
would thrive.

Any attempt to try to capture the home/education market with a Mac or a
Mac/IIe solution might not work. The GS AND the Mac form a very good
combination for addressing educational challenges. There is much to be
said to having two product lines. As it is, the Mac product line is most
confusing with 8 computers(including the II and IIx) all doing similar
things at faster speeds. There is nothing to be gained by dropping the
GS and a lot to lose.

Philip McDunnough
University of Toronto
philip@utstat.toronto.edu
[my opinions]