Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!samsung!olivea!apple!agate!darkstar!ucscb.UCSC.EDU!unknown
From: unknown@ucscb.UCSC.EDU (The Unknown User)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: Re: IIgs ROM revisions
Message-ID: <14463@darkstar.ucsc.edu>
Date: 13 Apr 91 21:50:07 GMT
References: <3097E4CBE0218523@MACALSTR.EDU>
Sender: usenet@darkstar.ucsc.edu
Organization: University of California, Santa Cruz; Open Access Computing
Lines: 70


In article <3097E4CBE0218523@MACALSTR.EDU> SHBOUM@MACALSTR.EDU writes:
>	Yea, you're right, the Apple IIGS is overpriced and underpowered.
>However, both of these problems have been from Apple's MANAGERIAL decisions
>and we have had no say it. Why do you think they keep dropping the prices
>of the Macs? Because Apple is possessed in its thinking that Macs are
>they only thing in the future. Now if Apple was really serious in selling
>the II's, not only would they immediatly slash their prices, but they would
>make a new and improved CPU. 


	You can save many hundreds of dollars on a GS system. The following
ideas will NOT be obvious to the first-time computer buyer at all, and I 
didn't even think about most of them when I put together my GS system piece
by piece.. (but I did think about one of 'em)

	I saw a mail order ad for new GSes in the box for $699. Even cheaper
were reconditioned GSes with 512K (partially populated Apple memory card????)
for like $569.

	So even if you take the more expensive one, it's $699 vs. Apple's
list, which is what?? Like $1299 still or something OUTRAGEOUS like that?

	So with that you get the keyboard and mouse (right? I upgraded from
a //e, saving even more money).

	You go out and buy a third party RGB monitor, saving tons of money.
From what I've learned, the Amiga monitor would be the best deal. I believe
you can get that for about $250 vs. the $400-$450 SALE price you can get the 
Apple one for. This one was the one I had thought of a little bit beforehand,
although I wasn't thinking of the Amiga monitor at the time. I was thinking of
the TV/monitor (Magnavox or Sony? there might've been two similar ones) that 
had multiple inputs and you could switch between them easily.. Like analog
and digital RGB and an NTSC input.. It seemed like a great monitor and was
less than Apple's. But I ended up getting the Apple one through my mom's 
company, which could buy them cheaper. (I think I paid like $400 a few years
ago)

	You can get a third party 3.5" daisy-chainable drive. They are around
$200 now (I think even cheaper, like $189, mail order). That is vs. Apple's
insane list price, which I am pretty sure is $399. (Strange, a few years ago
when I got one it was at least $50 less, and I found it at a DEALER for like $300
exactly)

	So for the basic system you've saved what, like $500 AT LEAST? (I'm 
too lazy to go adding it all up now, especially when a bunch of my prices are
off the top of my head and not positively correct, although close)

	Now if you go into hard drives and such you save ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE
over Apple's prices. And you even save around 1/2 the price of the AE and AI
and even external drives sold 'for the Apple'.  (The BEST thing about the 
Mac introduction to Incider/A+ is that there are now DECENT prices for hard
drives in that mag!)

	Laser printers too.. although I'd admittedly probably get a LaserWriter
because that's what I'm used to.


	IBM clone people brag about how much money they can save by 
getting third party products rather than brand name stuff. The same kinds of
techniques work on the Apple II and Macintosh worlds, just not with the 
actual CPU itself.

	(Note, I'm -NOT- trying to get into a discussion/argument about 
clones vs. any kind of Apple here. I'm just saying that putting together systems
of many different third party products because they're cheaper is thought of
as an IBM clone practice)
-- 
/unknown@ucscb.ucsc.edu Apple IIGS Forever! ULTIMA VI GS -mail me. CDs-mail me\
\          McIntosh Junior:  The Power to Crush the Other Kids.               /