Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!ames!claris!outpost.UUCP!peirce
From: peirce@outpost.UUCP (Michael Peirce)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: The Fate of the Macintosh
Message-ID: <0B010004.jyotac@outpost.UUCP>
Date: 23 Mar 91 00:39:33 GMT
Reply-To: peirce@outpost.UUCP
Organization: Peirce Software
Lines: 45
X-Mailer: uAccess - Mac Release: 1.0.3

A couple of quick comments.

*** MIPS and the Mac: the Macintosh provides much more than a bare bones
number cruncher.  If MIPS is what you really require, don't buy a
Mac, get a hot Unix box.  There are *lots* of companies trying to
compete base on MIPS (IBM, DEC, HP, Sun, but not really Next).  

Personally I think normal people, not us techno-weenies, want a computer
that is fast ENOUGH.  Meaning that they don't have to wait too long
for the things they normally do with the machine.  Macs provide this.
A Classic provides this for people doing basic word processing and
spreadsheet work.  The higher end Macs provide this for more challenging
tasks.

*** Mac Clones: so far they are simply curiosities.  No one buys an
Amiga so they can run Mac software, I doubt people would buy a Next
to run Mac software.  Pure Mac clones might sell, but in over six years
there hasn't been one yet...

*** Next as threat to Macintosh:  Get real!  The Next is an interesting
machine, but it is losing the marketshare wars to the RISC hot boxes
in the workstation marketplace and to Macs & Windows in the PC marketplace.
I expect to see it continue as an interesting niche machine - sort
of like the Amiga.

People don't buy computers because they have the best designed PC
board or the cleanest software development enviroment, only us 
techno-weenies care about that.  My Mom and Dad buy computers to 
get a job done.  They also want to feel good about the computer they
buy. They get warm and fuzzy over Apple, IBM, or Compaq.  They expect
them to be around in 10 years. They've never even *heard* of Next or Amiga
and probably don't even care that Steve Jobs got married last week...

Of course things change over time and the players will too.  The 
marketplace is a harsh mistress.  I love watching the various computer 
companies compete and try to one-up each other.  That's the very essence
of capitalism.  On with the show!

-- michael

I figure if you can't beat the flame wars, join 'em!      1/2 :-)

--  Michael Peirce         --   outpost!peirce@claris.com
--  Peirce Software        --   Suite 301, 719 Hibiscus Place
--  Macintosh Programming  --   San Jose, California 95117
--           & Consulting  --   (408) 244-6554, AppleLink: PEIRCE