Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!bu.edu!purdue!haven!mimsy!mojo!SYSMGR@KING.ENG.UMD.EDU
From: sysmgr@KING.ENG.UMD.EDU (Doug Mohney)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: NuBus/030-Direct cards for IIsi
Message-ID: <0093EAB1.E1F7F0A0@KING.ENG.UMD.EDU>
Date: 24 Oct 90 16:12:09 GMT
References: <329@ub.d.umn.edu>,<90296.165727CXT105@psuvm.psu.edu>
Sender: news@eng.umd.edu (The News System)
Reply-To: sysmgr@KING.ENG.UMD.EDU (Doug Mohney)
Organization: The U. of MD, CP, CAD lab
Lines: 29

>By arranging things this way, Apple forces people who buy IIsi's to
>decide whether they want NuBus or 030-Direct, but not both, as soon
>as they decide they need a coprocessor!  Why can't the coprocessor fit
>into a drop-in socket on the motherboard, for instance?  Why do you
>need a slot adapter just to have a coprocessor?

Lowers the cost of motherboard production and saves real estate. Apple made a
big thing about "Apple Engineering" and shrinking size (as compared to
three-letter-companies). If you are doing dPub, word processing, or graphics,
having a math coprocessor won't break you, or the speed of the machine.

>IMHO, this is one of the stupider design choices Apple has ever made.
>It cripples the IIsi market by inflicting indecision on customers.  In
>words often quoted, "there's got to be a better way."  But no, IIsi
>owners are forced to decide in advance whether they would rather have
>NuBus or 030-Direct technology.  And if they want both, they have to
>buy TWO coprocessors!!  Stupid, stupid, stupid....

Babbling youngster, having meditated over this question, I think it isn't a
BAD idea. With the SE & SE/30, you got PDS. Period. With the II <x, no-letter,
ci,cx,fx> you get (as I under stand) Only NuBus. You have a choice. 

The "si market" is anyone who wants a low-cost '030 machine with a color
monitor. If you need a slot, I'm willing to bet that 4 out of 5 people will
go get the NuBus gizmo, leaving 1 out of 5 to play with the processor-direct
slot...that's not a bad idea. 

It might have been NICER to put both PDS and Nubus on the board, but then
people would have been bitching about the cost of the si...