Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!sei.cmu.edu!fs7.ece.cmu.edu!o.gp.cs.cmu.edu!andrew.cmu.edu!ls1i+ From: ls1i+@andrew.cmu.edu (Leonard John Schultz) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc Subject: Re: The Fate of the Macintosh Message-ID: Date: 22 Mar 91 23:11:24 GMT References: <1991Mar22.154811.8691@rucs2.sunlab.cs.runet.edu> Organization: Class of '92, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA Lines: 51 In-Reply-To: <1991Mar22.154811.8691@rucs2.sunlab.cs.runet.edu> On 22-Mar-91 in The Fate of the Macintosh user Butch Deal@rucs2.sunlab. writes: >>Best I can figure (correct me if I am wrong), my Macintosh SE/30 is rated >>at somewhere between 2 and 3 MIPS (not too bad), but when you consider >>that the new NeXT (retail priced at around $5,000) checks in at around 15 >>MIPS, I question the future of Macintosh. > >Well you are wrong closer to 5 MIPS. But lets consider the LC, about 3 or 4 >MIPS and around $1000 (educational price). Sorry, but the IIfx is the machine rated at 5-7 MIPS, not the SE/30. And 16MHz 020's go for a little under 2 MIPS. And please, if you are going to compare two machines, compare ed with ed and retail with retail. NeXTstation ed prices are $3100. And let's not even start comparing features. On 22-Mar-91 in Re: The Fate of the Macintosh user Richard P. Muller@sgi1.w writes: > I believe that someone is already working on a SoftPC-type >clone of Mac Roms for the NeXT. Should be out RSN. > Software clones are in general terribly slow. I've heard that >SoftPC only runs at about IBM XT speed (i.e. awful), even though the >NeXT is a tremendous platform (as you mentioned, 15 MIPS). If you want >good performance on Macintosh software, you best bet for the money >will always be a Macintosh, until the fabled clean-room hardware >clones of the Mac ROMs materialize (also RSN), and maybe even then. The key difference here is that "SoftMac" will not have to emulate another processor. The 68040 contains the entire instruction set that the 68000 contains (from glancing at my 68040 manual). The only problem for this potential program lies in the information carried in the ROMS. Here is an artical from a January MacWeek that some of you may find interesting. Key in on the software only version.... ----- RDI Computer Corp. is erecting a bridge from Macs to Sun workstations, announcing software this week that lets users run Mac programs from SPARC-based systems for the first time. Companion, which runs under Sun's SunView or Open Windows operating systems, will work like a Mac SE or Classic by emulating the Mac's 68000 processor, RDI said. .... Companion will be available Feb. 1 bundled with an SBus card that includes a Mac Classic ROM for $1695. A software-only version will be available in early March for $895... ... Schramek added that RDI has not had any legal challenge from Apple regarding its Mac emulation. RDI Computer Corp. is at 6696 Mesa Ridge Road, Building A, San Diego, Calif. 92121. Phone (619)944-6381; fax (619)558-8943. -----