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From: mto@GTE.COM (Tamer Ozsu)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware
Subject: Re: Information Needed on Outbound Portable
Keywords: Outbound, portable Macintosh
Message-ID: <10309@bunny.GTE.COM>
Date: 2 Jan 91 16:00:56 GMT
References: <0B010001.ep79oz@bse.com>
Organization: GTE Laboratories, Waltham MA
Lines: 48

In article <0B010001.ep79oz@bse.com> eberard@bse.com writes:
>Folks,
>
>I am coming dangerously close to purchasing an Outbound ("portable Macintosh").
>I have checked the prices, and the capabilities. You could say that I am planning
>on getting one "fully loaded," i.e.:
> 	[stuff deleted]
>However, I am having some last minute doubts. I would like to hear from some
>other people -- like yourselves:
>
>	-- Is this company a good bet?

I had also looked at the machine, but decided that it was too much
money for an 68000 machine. As far as the company goes, I don't know
their financial strength, but I was quite happy with the people whom I
dealt with. Furthermore, Outbound's technology has been bought by
Apple and has been relicensed to them (or something like this). I am
told that this saves Outbound from the hassle of potentially going
through a copyright violation law suit. Since Apple owns part of the
company, I suspect they should be in good shape.
>	-- Will Apple be coming out with anything close within the next year?
>	-- What changes, if any, will Apple be introducing for its portable
>	   Mac within the first half of 1991?

I have heard that they will be announcing new laptops this year. As
far as I know, it will be a much smaller laptop than what they
currently have. Rumor has it that they have been talking to some
Japanese PC-compatible laptop manufacturers. I have no information
when the announcement will come, though. 

>	-- Are there any "gotcha's"? (For example, applications which don't
>	   work, or upward compatibility problems?)
>

I believe I have seen Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, MacDraw, Hypercard and
MacroMind Director running on it. These were the ones I was interested
in. I don't know of others.

=+Tamer




-- 
M. Tamer Ozsu					mto@gte.com
GTE Laboratories				
40 Sylvan Road					
Waltham, MA 02254