Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!apple!bionet!alc!lovejoy
From: lovejoy@alc.com (Alan Lovejoy)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: Sun's Competitive Strategy (Was: Re: P1754
Message-ID: <303@mesa.alc.com>
Date: 3 Dec 90 23:49:22 GMT
References: <1635@unix386.Convergent.COM> <1990Dec2.014554.3491@Neon.Stanford.EDU> <2760@cirrusl.UUCP>
Organization: Ascent Logic Corporation; San Jose, CA
Lines: 31

In article <2760@cirrusl.UUCP> dhesi%cirrusl@oliveb.ATC.olivetti.com (Rahul Dhesi) writes:
>In <1990Dec2.014554.3491@Neon.Stanford.EDU>
>philip@pescadero.Stanford.EDU (Philip Machanick) writes:

>>Maybe they've learnt at last. The new Classic costs $750 at the Stanford
>>Bookstore, and the waiting list for them is 2 months long.

>Nope.  "Classic" here means "obsolete".  In this day and age of 28-MIPS
>machines, what Apple does with an 8 MHz 68000 is utterly irrelevant.

Oh!  So THAT's why the 28-MIPS machines are breaking sales records and have
months-long waiting lists, while the 8-MHz 68k and x86 machines are sitting in 
wharehouses with few buyers in sight?

I knew there had to be a reason! :-)

"Better" is the enemy of "good enough."  Once a device does its job acceptably,
price becomes the only issue.  For most users, an 8 MHz cpu is sufficient.  
That is, it is PERCEIVED TO BE sufficient.  When the public becomes aware that
there is this [currently hypothetical] whizbang software program that can 
double their income every year--but which requires a 28 MIPS machine for 
acceptable usability, THEN 8 MHz cpus will become irrelevant.  We aren't there 
yet, guys.



-- 
 %%%% Alan Lovejoy %%%% | "Do not go gentle into that good night,
 % Ascent Logic Corp. % | Old age should burn and rave at the close of the day;
 UUCP:  lovejoy@alc.com | Rage, rage at the dying of the light!" -- Dylan Thomas
__Disclaimer: I do not speak for Ascent Logic Corp.; they do not speak for me!


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