Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!helios.physics.utoronto.ca!ists!yunexus!philip From: philip@yunexus.yorku.ca (Phil McDunnough) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2 Subject: Re: A low blow from Apple Message-ID: <15362@yunexus.YorkU.CA> Date: 21 Sep 90 02:15:11 GMT References: <9009200536.AA27514@apple.com> Sender: news@yunexus.YorkU.CA Organization: York University, Toronto, Ont. Lines: 67 In article <9009200536.AA27514@apple.com> MQUINN@UTCVM.BITNET writes: > >>Faster computers,etc... are not what everyone needs/wants. > >It's what I need and what I want. The speed (or shall I say, LACK OF) is >probably the biggest reason so many software companies have pulled. Even >though new companies are being started, more are >pulling out. How many GS specific (or //e) games have come out in the last >year? How many for the Amiga? If it is speed you want, then why not get a 486. The 386/486 are probably the best price/performance computers you will find if speed is the only issue, which I do not agree with. Why do people keep bringing up the Amiga? I'm frankly getting annoyed at the analogy. There is more to computing than games. In fact the percentage of games worth buying is very small. There are excellent opportunities for people to come out with a whole new approach to computer games, now that we have CD-ROM's, Hypermedia,etc... It will be refreshing to finally see computers differ from the mundane one theme games that have been with us for years. There are a few good arcade type games( from Taito, Xenocide,etc...) but count the number of games on the Amiga and multiply by $40 and see what you get. People can't afford to be buying every little 2 minute attention getter. The GS is in a very good position of having excellent sound tools, new animation tools, great connectivity to Macs and even to Unix systems. Sure we probably could do with a faster GS and slightly better graphics. I feel these will come. If they don't, I have a wonderful computer with some great software to last me years. The other thing you are forgetting when bringing up the Amiga is the quality of the people who work at Apple. The GS's OS is just great. I use and like the Mac. I really like the GS. Both are way ahead of any other micro OS with wide acceptance that I'm aware of. The PS/1 may have VGA and a 10MHz 286, but it doesn't have GS/OS. I'm not putting the PS/1 down as I think IBM is thinking along the right lines for what people want at home. I also think that Apple is in a very good position to be extremely competitive in that area, using both the GS and the Mac. > >>I also would love to see a faster( not too fast) GS > >I don't think it's possible to have a computer 'too fast'. If Apple decided >to make the GS 100Mhz, That'd definitely be better than 4Mhz (If price weren't >an issue, of course). That's a very BIG "of course". Faster computers require expensive supporting structures. We aren't at the point of being able to produce these at a reasonable cost. That being said, I do feel an increase in speed for the GS is called for. I don't need workstation speed, nor does the GS. > >>Actually processing power increases faster than you state. That doesn't >>mean that the market at which the GS is aimed at needs it. Take a look >>at IBM's PS/1 which is doing quite well. It's hardly a technological >>giant. > >Take a look at it's speed (what? 10Mhz?) and it's graphics-->VGA! I don't >think anyone's asking for the GS to be a technological giant (but if they >make it that, I won't gripe :), but at least equal to other computers in it's >price range. Well, we will have to see what Apple has in mind, but many PC "power users" are unlikely to be happy with the 10MHz 286 and are probably having the same conversation we are having here in another forum. Also, don't forget that the GS has an excellent OS, networking, a well-defined SCSI and connections to the Mac which you won't find with the PS/1. Philip McDunnough University of Toronto philip@utstat.toronto.edu [my opinions]