Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!psuvax1!wuarchive!uunet!microsoft!brianw
From: brianw@microsoft.UUCP (Brian WILLOUGHBY)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: Computer capabilities (Re: Stellar 7 re-release)
Message-ID: <60103@microsoft.UUCP>
Date: 28 Dec 90 21:16:04 GMT
References: <6203@crash.cts.com> <9907@darkstar.ucsc.edu> <14703@smoke.brl.mil> <930@redford.UUCP>
Reply-To: brianw@microsoft.UUCP (Brian WILLOUGHBY)
Organization: Microsoft Corp., Redmond WA
Lines: 32

jerry@redford.UUCP (Jerry Shekhel) writes:
>gwyn@smoke.brl.mil (Doug Gwyn) writes:
>>
>>Right on!
>>I estimate that a "stock" IIGS with 1.125MB of memory is fully as capable as
>>a typical IBM PC clone;
>
>It isn't.  Even the oldest PC clones with 8088 processors are at least twice
>as fast as stock IIgs's, and the 8088 processor has a much more functional
>instruction set than the '816.  That was yesterday.  Today's typical PC clone
>is a 16MHz 32-bit machine with at least 2MB memory, a GUI, and graphics that
>blow the IIgs away.

Get real!  When is the last time you actually used a 4 MHz 8088
machine?

Do you actually program in assembly?  The 8088 architecture is
NOTORIOUS because it is so terrible.  At least the 6502 has memory
indirection, which is something that the 68000 was missing until they
decided to add this powerful feature to the 68020.

I think you need to do some research into the "typical PC clone".  I
work for Microsoft, and we are concerned with finding a decent
minimum platform for our software which is affordable to everyone.
It is hard to even fit a 12 MHz 286 with 1 Meg RAM and 40M hard disk
into everyone's budget.

Brian Willoughby
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