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From: mcgu5464@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Ronald J Mcguire)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: Re: ASIC-65816 News
Message-ID: <9242@uwm.edu>
Date: 31 Jan 91 05:01:53 GMT
References: <1991Jan30.202122.22109@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>
Sender: news@uwm.edu
Organization: University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Lines: 46

In article <1991Jan30.202122.22109@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> bazyar@cs.uiuc.edu (Jawaid Bazyar) writes:
>I just got off the horn with none other than Tony Fadell, co-creator of the
>20-25MHz '816.  Things are getting close.  Right now, they have their chip
>installed in a GS along with a WDC part- in parallel.  They're doing this
>to make sure their timing is okay.  So far, what they've seen is timing
>just as good as or better than the WDC part.  

And then what? A THIRD brand of accellerator? Hmmm... Besides, the price
will be phenominal, and you know what its like to own the new toy when
you find out that it works like hell and then they release 19 upgrades
which cost you ~$100 each. I would be interested, but I think the TWGS
and the Zip are overpriced at ~$275 so I dunno... If this was around
~$350 then I might consider it, otherwise, I bet the audience base will
be a mute point.

>This phase will continue for another week or so.  After that, testing
>in as many different machine configurations as possible will occur, and
>after that- blammo.  Can you say, "the GS went to hell, but came back alive
>and ready to kick butt".

When we have statements like "Apple Inc will never produce another stand-alone
][ again", and these 25 MHz accellerators will be so damn expensive... I'm
still more interested on the MMU project running at 8MHz... I don't think
that it will revive the GS, but the GS will become a cult object similar
to VW Bugs and Dr. Who and Startrek. A bunch of die-hard junkies thinking
that it wont be long before the rest of the world comes to it's senses.
Proof? Well with VWs, it was the semi-hemi cut of the heads to lower the
CR to about 6 or 6.5 - some dorks still think that they really *want*
a higher CR and everyone gets divided and you break up the base of
die hards... Anyway, the point is this - don't expect too much. A better
marketing strategy for these folks since you know them is to try to get
the lower profit margin, wider base than to try and initially build a 
name with a high price and fewer sales. (problem with software) The
number of GSs is shrinking faster than its growing, and something like
this may not be affordable to me for 2 or 3 years. Will this new company
be out of business by then because the few left couldn't afford what they
produced?

>Just wanted to let y'all know, to keep up the faith!

Call me a skeptic... ("You're a skeptic" Now noone has to say that to
be funny.)

Dan Gross

>Jawaid Bazyar               | "I'm sure K&R have never heard of Mike."