Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uwm.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!uupsi!rodan.acs.syr.edu!wwtaroli
From: wwtaroli@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Bill Taroli)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware
Subject: Re: '040 Mac
Message-ID: <1990Sep29.111044.1122@rodan.acs.syr.edu>
Date: 29 Sep 90 11:10:44 GMT
References: <1990Sep26.181933.239@fog.ann-arbor.mi.us> <1990Sep27.184128.22227@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu> <8726@jarthur.Claremont.EDU>
Organization: Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Lines: 45

In article <8726@jarthur.Claremont.EDU> epan@jarthur.Claremont.EDU (Eric C. Pan) writes:
> I don't know if people's been paying attention to the rumor on MacWeek.

Actually, no I haven't.

> But according to the article, Apple's going to include 8 bit color expandable 
> to 24 bit, ethernet, sound digitizer ( like the ones on IIsi ) , and DMA.

I assume you're talking about all this being on the motherboard? If so, how 
much would you expect Apple would charge, as if they aren't already charging to
much for the general purpose machines out there as it is! And besides that, 
aren't we being a bit optimistic about the features of the IIsi?? I think I'm
going to wait until it shows its face (in October, Apple?????) before I start
making comparisons to it and other as yet unannounced machines.

Oh, and while we're on the subject... what good is having any sort of DMA 
available going to do if it isn't implemented in the system softare?!?!? Or
didn't you hear about the IIfx (and System 7.0)?

> If there's all that, How many more slots do most people need? 6 or 3?

Think about this a minute. The whole purpose of slots is that people will find
hardware applications (RadiusTV is a prime example) that were either forgotten
when designing the machine (a 50 MHz '030) or simply aren't appropriate for
everybody (an Ethernet card, 24 bit video, OR a sound digitizer). And because
people will sometimes develop innovative ideas or the hardware manufacturer
doesn't want to inflate the already (cough!) inflated price, the need for slots
will be there. If you give them three, they'll use them. If you give them six,
those will go, too. Hell! If you gave them twenty, they'd end up finding a way
to use them... Thus, such determinations are simply not called for. In fact,
if presented with such a question my only answer would be: "as many as they can
fit!"

> Personally, I really LIKE the IIcx, IIci form factor.

I like the _FORM_, too. I'm just not completely thrilled by what they did 
inside.

Regards,

--
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* Bill Taroli (WWTAROLI@RODAN.acs.syr.edu)    | "You can and must understand  *
* Syracuse University, Syracuse NY            | computers NOW!" -- Ted Nelson *
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