Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Path: utzoo!utstat!philip
From: philip@utstat.uucp (Philip McDunnough)
Subject: Re: GS?(long)
Message-ID: <1990Sep6.074237.19392@utstat.uucp>
Date: Thu, 6 Sep 90 07:42:37 GMT
Distribution: na
References: <1990Sep1.025620.7757@utstat.uucp> <1990Sep6.033541.25581@ecn.purdue.edu>
Organization: Statistics, U. of Toronto

In article <1990Sep6.033541.25581@ecn.purdue.edu> coxr@ecn.purdue.edu (Richard L Cox) writes:
>
><deleted>
>>lack of software for both computers. People think Windows3.0 will have a
>>detrimental effect on the Mac, GS.

>Have you seen Window's 3.0?

I wouldn't have commented about it if I had not used it a lot( a lot more than
you might imagine). What's your point?

[stuff about my statement about the PS/1 deleted]

>Anyone remember the PC jr.?

I remember it quite well. Apart from the fact that 500,000 wer sold, the PS/1
is not the PCjr. It is essentially a model 30 PS/2 286 packaged for the home
at quite a good price(which will drop quickly as clones come out).

>IBM PC   ---> PC jr.
>IBM PS/2 ---> IBM PS/1

I don't deny that the PS/1 is not an MCA 386 PS/2. People don't need that much
for the home. There are more important priorities. Ease of use, ease of setup,
support,software,price,etc...Families typically do NOT want their power computerthey use at work to be sitting in their living room. People who do are either
doing an enormous amount of extra work at home( consultants,etc...) or graduate
students who seem to forever want faster computing and think that this is what
families want. Time has progressed. The PCjr would not run most PC software. ThePS/1 will. It is the light work use home computer, with the ability to do other
things. The GS is a family computer with ties to education, and I for one, do
not want it turned into your run of the mill spreadsheet computer. That may be
one use, but I'd rather the GS remain detached from mainstream business
computing which can remove the soul from the computer. The educational roots
of the GS are honourable ones, and it need only be improved speed-wise and
graphics-wise in order to keep it a class act computer( this is apart from
closer Mac connections which I have mentioned before).

>IBM is on the 3 steps forward 2 steps back kind of progression.  They
>seem to say, "Look at this new technology high performance machine. Hey
>I know guys, lets see how many things we can take out and see if it
>still runs... grab the chip puller and soldering iron."

This is just not true. The home market, as it is still being defined, is
wide open and I doubt that anyone has converged on what families want as
their home computer. I have my opinions, Apple and IBM have theirs( although
to IBM's credit they are exploring the market, not with inovative hardware
but with other marketing incentives which may appeal to the consumer- we
have yet to hear from Apple, but I have every confidence that Apple will
use its GS and Mac team to come up with an interesting approach). 

>The opinons stated here are those of several GS-users-going-to-macs

Well I have been using Macs for years. They are nice computers. Personally
I prefer the GS at home and a Mac/Unix system at work. I have better things
to do at home than continue working on equipment for which I get paid at
work.

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