Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!julius.cs.uiuc.edu!apple!agate!darkstar!ucscb.UCSC.EDU!unknown
From: unknown@ucscb.UCSC.EDU (The Unknown User)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: Re: Some observations
Message-ID: <8353@darkstar.ucsc.edu>
Date: 31 Oct 90 08:13:52 GMT
References: <139800045@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu>
Sender: usenet@darkstar.ucsc.edu
Organization: University of California, Santa Cruz; Open Access Computing
Lines: 63


In article <139800045@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu> wogg0743@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu writes:
>
>It occurs to me that we may possibly be panicking too soon on the subject
>of the Apple II's "death."  After all, whether Macintosh Inc. discontinues
>the Apple II or not, my trusty Apple II will remain on my desk.  Nothing
>Scully can do can make it disappear.

	Yes, I agree with this. I will probably keep my GS forever (for
"sentimental" reasons in many years where we all have virtual reality from
machines on our desktop, etc!  And to play Rescue Raiders!), no matter what
other machine(s) I may have.

> And I think software vendors can see
>that.  I mean, we say that there is no new software for the II, but is this
>really true?  Appleworks is up to version 3.0 now.  Several new GS games just
>came out.  You can get a scanner for the II line that (on a GS) will do high
>speed Optical Character Recognition.  Third party hardware companies are still
>developing stuff (RamFast SCSI, Zip chips, AE stuff) to enhance already
>existing systems.  All we have to do is to vote with our dollars (ie. buy
>some of the stuff) in order to make sure it keeps coming.

	Well, I honestly don't see how you can actually say and believe
all of that.. Yes, you did make a lot of valid points.. But anyone can see
that the Apple II (any variety) isn't getting ANYWHERE NEAR as much software
or hardware support as it was 5 or so years ago. It seems the Apple II was
one of the FIRST platforms software was made for... Now new software is
often not made for the Apple II, or if it is, it's usually the last out..
(Maybe the following is due to me being used to the capabilities of the GS,
but I don't think it is completely... New software for the Apple II seems like
garbage and not anywhere near as good as the old software... EXCEPT Prince of
Persia.. I consider that "GS worthy," meaning it's as good as the best GS
specific stuff even though it's a //e game).

>In fact, I like it this way.  I don't want an Apple IIgs+, because if one came
>out, it would I would probably not be able to upgrade my current system a
>(a ROM 01 GS).  I would much rather AE or a similar company come out with a
>better video card, etc., which will work with my machine.  But this kind of
>thing can only happen if we express our willingness to buy stuff.

	Well, I -do- want a better GS. I want a GS+.. with better graphics and
have it faster from the start.. without accelerators..

	Ugg? A BETTER VIDEO CARD? That would bring us in the realm of the
IBMs and Macs! I'm serious... that's one of my biggest complaints about
the IBM world [along with function keys, the work of the devil]... When you
have multiple video standards, you have to have software rewritten for 
different versions.
	With the lack of software for the II and/or GS nowadays, we certainly
don't need MULTIPLE standards!

>So what we should do (IMHO) is stop harassing Apple so much about a decision
>that I suspect (fatalistic me) is irreversible and instead work on making
>sure that third party software/hardware producers know that there is still
>money to be made catering to our needs.

	Well, I think we should keep harrassing Apple. It might not help,
but this kind of "consumer protest" works in other fields (like TV
{WRITE TO FOX TV ABOUT CANCELLING ALIEN NATION!}, and politics)...

-- 
/Apple II(GS) Forever! unknown@ucscb.ucsc.edu MAIL ME FOR INFO ABOUT CHEAP CDs\
\"If cartoons were meant for adults, they'd be on in prime time."-Lisa Simpson/