Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!rochester!cornell!vax5.cit.cornell.edu!q4kx
From: q4kx@vax5.cit.cornell.edu (Joel Sumner)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: Mac is software - why not on NeXT?
Message-ID: <1990Nov6.160855.864@vax5.cit.cornell.edu>
Date: 6 Nov 90 20:08:55 GMT
References: <1990Nov6.114141.3280@csc.anu.oz.au>
Distribution: comp
Lines: 31

In article <1990Nov6.114141.3280@csc.anu.oz.au>,
pfr654@csc.anu.oz.au writes:
> The thing is that Apple's Macintosh is SOFTWARE. The hardware/software
> combination is put together reasonably well, byut we all know that we can
> buy cheaper hardware elsewhere.
>
> Why can't we purchase "Macintosh" for NeXT, IBM, Suns, VaxStations etc?
> Apple system software and Apple ROMs could not be more than say 20% of the
> cost of a Mac, say $250, freeing all users to run Mac software on whatever
> platform they liked?

Simple, because then Apple would lose a HUGE market share.  Look at the IBM
clone market.  IBM allowed other people to manufacture the BIOS and other
components of IBM systems, so people did the obvious thing, buy the separate
parts and make their own.  IBM's share of the PC market fell something like 40%
due to that decision.  Apple doesn't want the Mac to become a 'generic'
computer.  Thus, they vigorously protect their ROM code.  If you want to go and
'reverse engineer' the Mac Toolbox, go ahead.  Apple can't do much.  But that
is a pretty ridiculous project.  (Look at how few companies produced Apple II
clones.  2.  Only one is now still around.  Laser)  Therefore, the only real
option is to do what the Amacs cards do.   Buy a mac, yank the ROMS, and stick
them in whatever Mac emulator board you have.  That is the only legal option
unless Apple wants to license out their ROM code (not a snowball's chance in
....)

--
Joel Sumner                     GENIE:JOEL.SUMNER     These opinions are
q4kx@cornella.ccs.cornell.edu   q4kx@cornella         warranted for 90 days or
q4kx@vax5.cit.cornell.edu       q4kx@crnlvax5         60,000 miles.  Whichever
....................................................  comes first.
Never test for an error condition that you can't handle.