Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!apple!agate!ucbvax!MACALSTR.EDU!SHBOUM From: SHBOUM@MACALSTR.EDU Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2 Subject: Re: Apple II Forever! Message-ID: Date: 5 Apr 91 22:58:00 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: The Internet Lines: 67 Ryan Collins writes in an ealier message: > Well, if you want to play games. The original Nintendo was built around a > 6502,and the Super NES has a 65816, but they also have a lot of > specialized chips, especially geared to game playing. One of the things for > succes of the Nintendo was that they design to do one and only one thing, > to play games. <...> > If you want to talk support, you oughta own an Atari, where there is hardly > any support. But I've grown used to it in the past 4 years, and it doesn't > bother me that much anymore. Todd also made a comment about the Nientendio being soo good because of the custom hardware for it. Somehow I see a new idea coming out of here. A computer is just more then its processor right? If we had good customized chips, then it might not matter as much if we go half or less the speed... Why do you think the mac's are so slow? Could it be because the CPU does everything? {Mac IIfx excluded to an extent} All the GS really needs is a 10Mhz chip and a REAL graphics chip and then we'd be rocking. {an increase to the 64K DOC ram would be really helpful too :)!} But my main point is that yes I do know that they are game machines, and that I really can't count them as "REAL"computers and thats why companies like Commadore are struggeling to break that image. but remember, Commedore never had the reputation of building "good quality" machines and that their software support {i.e. workbench} doesn't look that professional {for a state of the art machine, it looks like crud!}. This professional factor is one of the reasons why Apple has such a good reputation. They put out good quality products in both hardware and software. But nonetheless, no right computer manufacture can ignore the gaming market. It holds over 75% of all the software sales. What do you see the shelves filled with in the computer stores? Its definatly not shelves filled with Lotus 1-2-3! You don't see the gaming industry hurting IBM's image... Thus if people are going to go out and spend $100 for a game console, wouldn't you as a computer manufacture try and bring them a computer with say the power of a GS for $800? Hell, the advantages of owning a computer outweigh the game machine so much that you're machine would bound to be a sucess. Why do you think IBM is trying to capture this huge home industry with it's PS series? Apple 5 years ago, when it developed the Mega II chip was in the best position to dominate the home computer industry and all they had to do was slap it in with a CPU, some ram, put a little ADB connector, a disk drive, a LCD, a couple other I/O ports and viola a NOTEBOOK computer. And look how expenive the hardware is!!! Outside of the LCD, its nothing!!! Because they dominated the schools, students could have taken them to and from class, and when they got home, plug it into the TV for their work/games, or whatever. For the businessman it would have been great with Appleworks on the road. They could still do it today, although they'd have to upgrade some features to keep up with IBM. And it would be more feasible to do right now then Scully's idea with the Mac because look how much the portable is and they want to get it even SMALLER. Geez, the LCD screen to handle the resolution is going to be expensive as all hell. Sure its not the latest in technology, but it would have bought the power of computers in an innovative manner to the home users in an expensive manner. Like I mentioned before, there is more to a computer then just the CPU alone, whether or not its 8/16 bit. And Apple would have never suffered the same problems that Atari or Commadore suffer today from the lack of respect by producing the low end II. Indeed, Apple could have gained much from promoting the II line as such. They would have established a very large base of customers that would turn to them for their future needs... - Hal | Hal Bouma | Send mail to: SHBoum@Macalstr.edu | Macalester College | and SHBoum@Macalstr.Bitnet | GEnie: H.Bouma | ".Sig Under Construction..."