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From: boris@world.std.com (Boris Levitin)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: Some questions to APPLE
Message-ID: <1990Nov20.083633.22672@world.std.com>
Date: 20 Nov 90 08:36:33 GMT
References: <1990Nov15.182253.5628@portia.Stanford.EDU> <1990Nov16.040108.9863@phri.nyu.edu> <1990Nov18.110128.8081@world.std.com> <1990Nov18.225351.28093@rice.edu>
Organization: The World @ Software Tool & Die
Lines: 38

jack@Taffy.rice.edu (Jack W. Howarth) writes:


>Boris,
>   I would be surprised if Apple's margins on the new macs weren't initially
>50% or so. They probably have designed these machines understanding that the
>prices will collapse as does the 286 market which is the competition. I was
>disappointed that they didn't go for a 16 MHz 68000 to make the 'Classic'
>a little less classical.
>                               Jack

That would support my point, and that is that even without the engineering
and manufacturing streamlining, there was plenty of margin for Apple to eat.
I, too, regret the decision to keep using the 8MHz 68000, which is twelve
years old this year and makes it difficult to defend the Mac line as
technologically advanced.

Incidentally, Apple has clocked the IIsi, at least, to be faster than full-
fledged 12MHz 386 machines.  The 286 is comparable to the LC and Classic only
in raw speed, because most 286 machines are too slow and have too little
memory to run Windows efficiently.

Now, competent users of course realize that the Mac is a far superior
platform to DOS.  However, the proliferation of DOS tells us that there
are few competent users.  Therefore the DOS world needs to be aggressively
reeducated.  Apple has made a good start which will yield not-insignificant
results, but it needs to do much more.  Recently someone here signed with
the line "DOS: an operating system originally designed for a microprocessor
at which contemporary household appliances would sneer."  I think it should
become Apple's alternate advertising slogan.

Boris Levitin
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WGBH Public Broadcasting, Boston                         boris@world.std.com
Audience & Marketing Research              wgbx!boris_levitin@athena.mit.edu
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(The opinions expressed herein are my own and do not necessarily coincide 
with those of my employer or anyone else.  The WGBH tag is for ID only.)