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From: strange@sprite.berkeley.edu (Steve Strange)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: Mac IIsi  questions
Message-ID: <11339@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: 21 Feb 91 21:15:40 GMT
References: <8456@plains.NoDak.edu>
Sender: news@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU
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Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Lines: 38

In article <8456@plains.NoDak.edu> fleckens@plains.NoDak.edu (Clint Fleckenstein) writes:
>I am looking at buying a IIsi...my problem is deciding between a
>2/40 configuration and a 5/80.  The reason I have doubts is price
>difference.  My question is this:
>
>Will I need the extra memory?  Will it affect performance?  How
>large ARE Mac applications?
>

If you want to run Multifinder, eg, a number of applications simultaneously,
I would highly recommend having 5 meg of memory.  The IIsi uses system
RAM for the screen buffer, so with 2 meg you really have at most 1 meg
of usable application memory.  A nice fast machine like the IIsi deserves
5 meg.

>Will I need that much hard drive space?  How much space do normal
>Mac applications take?

You would probably be OK with 40 Mb, especially if you are just starting
with a mac.  I had 30 Meg on a Plus for years, and I got by fine.  So,
this is what I would recommend - Get the 2/40, and then upgrade the memory
to 5 Mb yourself (or have a friend do it, it is extremely easy on this
machine, no screws, no boards to remove!)  4 1-meg SIMMs is what you would
need, which can be had for under $200 last I checked.  The difference in
price between the two IIsi configs is like 4 times that, isn't it?  I
bought the 2/40, then upgraded to 5 Mb memory and a 105 Mb disk, total
cost less than the 5/80, and this was university prices.

>I *do* wish I could get an Apple// emulator...I have a LOT of //
>software I'm familiar with (7 years' worth :)

If you really want this, consider the LC.  Not as fast as the IIsi, but
a great way to use your old S/W and use newer Mac S/W as well.  I've never
played with one, but I've heard good things about them.  And they're
reasonably priced, considerably less than the IIsi.

		Steve Strange
		UC Berkeley