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From: jcav@ellis.uchicago.edu (john  cavallino)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware
Subject: Re: Why not computer-in-a-monitor?
Message-ID: <1991Feb27.212523.19408@midway.uchicago.edu>
Date: 27 Feb 91 21:25:23 GMT
References: <4935@mindlink.UUCP> <1991Feb27.181358.13467@midway.uchicago.edu> <1991Feb27.193027.19293@csn.org>
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In a previous article I wrote:

>> Now that Macintosh motherboards have become so highly integrated and
>> therefore SMALL, why not introduce a new design (or designs) putting said
>> motherboards inside large-screen monitors.  I could easily picture, for
>> instance, the guts of a IIsi mounted inside the portrait display, with a
>> slightly taller case to accomodate the floppy disk and the peripheral ports.
>> Apple could market it as an all-in-one desktop publishing/word processing
>> solution. Many other combinations are possible.
>> Is this a crazy idea?  I think not.  Comments?

In article <1991Feb27.193027.19293@csn.org> bernard@boulder.colorado.edu (Bernie Bernstein) writes:
>I think it is a great idea.  But instead of putting the computer into a big
>heavy monitor, how about putting the cpu into a small luggable monitor, like
>9".  Then they can make it with different cpu's and call them Mac Classic and
>Mac SE/30.  :-b
Great idea!! Bet they'll sell like hotcakes :-)

>
>The way they do it now, they only need to have a few different packages.  In the
>Mac II line, there were 2, and now (IIsi) 3 different cases for the CPUs.  Each
>of which can hook up to any of Apple's monitors or many third-party monitors.  
>There would be too many combinations of cpu/monitor's for the dealers to sell if
>they tried to pre-assemble them all.  It seems to me that they made a wise decision
>to package some cpu's with small monitors so that it is semi-portable.
>
>My guess is that if someone has a two-page monitor, they will probably leave it
>at one location.  If it has to move, then moving the CPU isn't that much more of
>an inconvenience than just moving the monitor.  I don't think having a cpu in
>a large monitor would be sufficiently practical to justify Apple changing its
>product line.
>
>My opinion.

If you have it all in one case it should end up being cheaper, due to the
smaller number of parts if nothing else.  Less spaghetti wire, too.
I chose the portrait monitor w/ IIsi as a specific example of a configuration
that probably many people are buying already.  Another interesting
possibilty would be to mount a IIsi or LC -class CPU within a 640x480 color
monitor with integral tilt-swivel stand.  IMHO, such all-in-one machines
would have all the advantages of the classic form factor (minus the
luggability), but with the advantage of a larger screen and/or color.

Speaking of design decisions, can somebody explain to me why the SE/30
doesn't support at least 2-bit (4-color) grayscale on the internal screen?
I'm skeptical that designing the video controller chip to support this option
would have been too difficult or too expensive.  The present design already
has 64K video RAM.  The classic 512x342 screen takes up 22K, so there's plenty
of room for 2 bits/pixel.  This is not a flame (well, only a little), I'm
just curious.

--
John Cavallino                      |     EMail: jcav@midway.uchicago.edu
University of Chicago Hospitals     |    USMail: 5841 S. Maryland Ave, Box 145
Office of Facilities Management     |            Chicago, IL  60637
"Opinions, my boy. Just opinions"   | Telephone: 312-702-6900