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From: blaise@kira.UUCP (Christopher Blaise)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc
Subject: Re: Open Letter to an MS-DOS User
Message-ID: <1991Apr2.025329.5417@uvm.edu>
Date: 2 Apr 91 02:53:29 GMT
References: <8890@mentor.cc.purdue.edu>
Sender: news@uvm.edu
Distribution: comp
Organization: University of Vermont, Department of Computer Science
Lines: 52

From article <8890@mentor.cc.purdue.edu>, by blissmer@expert.cc.purdue.edu (Kevin):
> In article <1991Mar27.200613.4423@jato.jpl.nasa.gov> dave@elxr.jpl.nasa.gov writes:
>>derosa@motcid.UUCP (John DeRosa) writes:
>>
>>Gee..I could if you tell me how much slower it runs, how much
>>more you have to pay for disk storage, and how difficult it is
>>to get things like a MIDI port and/or modems installed for it.
>>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> Falicies MS/DOS users believe.
> 
> In the real world, disk storage is not more expensive, but cheaper.  If you
> have a 40 meg on a mac and need another, buy it for $299 and hook it up.  If
> you want to do the same on a DOS clone, check your hard drive controller, MFM
> or RLL?, any open ports?, no?  Buy a new controller.  Reconfigure your BIOS
> setup.  $299 seems pretty cheap, for plug and go.  $399 for 105 megs.  $499
> for a removable 45.  No way can you add that to an existing DOS system for
> that cheap unless your controller happens to be SCSI.
> 
> In the real world, a mac user opens the modem or midi box and plugs it in
> (internal or external).  NO DIP SWITCHES.  I can't believe I'm hearing a DOS
> user say that hardware add ons are easier than the mac.  And it's cheap, $99
> for a modem and $79 for MIDI.
> 
> Mac's are easier AND cheaper.  Factor is real costs, like setup time, software
> and OS maintainance differences and there is an even greater advantage to the
> mac.

	Cheaper, eh?  Easier, eh?  Ever try to take one apart without a manual
or someone right beside you telling you TO BE CAREFUL, NOT TO TOUCH
the screen on an SE, plus, etc., to install some more memory?

	Thats assuming, of course, that you know what you're doing or have some
one nearby who does.  LEt alone finding a screwdriver to get the (nonstandard)
screws out, where are you going to get a case cracker?  No where unless 
you've kissed up to Apple, paid to take their Tech course and the manuals
AND the equipment...

	$99 for a modem?  I got a 2400 baud internal for $79.  My mother's
Macintosh blew an analog card.  I knew what the problem was, but WHERE
could I find a place to purchse the parts?  Computer Shopper sure didn't
list any Apple parts dealer.  For a $39 board (their price) ,it cost
my mother $399 to have some apple techs fix her SE when I could have
jyst bought the part for her, and done it myself (thanks to the
Mac guru at the school)...

	But to be fair, it IS extremely easy to alter BIOS.  There isn't much
to alter, but it sure is easy to alter :)

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