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From: augsec@ecsvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: why buy an apple
Message-ID: <1250@ecsvax.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 23-Sep-83 10:29:24 EDT
Article-I.D.: ecsvax.1250
Posted: Fri Sep 23 10:29:24 1983
Date-Received: Sun, 25-Sep-83 12:03:55 EDT
Lines: 68


Reading the comments under the heading of 'RE: WHY BUY AN APPLE?' has
been a bit disappointing especially when you consider that at least
some of the other users reading these exchanges are probably new to the
world of microcomputing.

About three years ago I knew next to nothing about micros or which one
to buy. However, a friend of mine gave me some advice that helped me a
great deal and I think still applies today; i.e. buy the machine that
meets your needs today and don't spend too much time trying to second
guess what microcomputers will be like tomorrow. Following that line
of reasoning lead me to purchase an Apple II+ because it could do what
I wanted and needed to do. It has also had the extra benefit of allow-
ing me to learn more about micros than I probably could have on any
other machine around at that time.

Today things are not so simple and the first question that a person
needs to ask is whether an 8-bit or a 16-bit micro is what they need?
(Obviously a sub-set of this question is what operating system will
function best in your environment?) I work in a building where people
use Radio Shack Model 12s, Cromenco S-100 systems and Apples. The
Cromenco and Radio Shack users generally work with CP/M while the
Apples use DOS. Between public domain software and their own talents,
the CP/M group has developed programs that meet their needs. The same
can be said of the Apple users, primarily because Apple has let us
know what makes the II+/e tick. The point is that we are all using
8-bit systems and really don't see where a 16-bit system would make
that much difference to our work. We could be wrong and probably are;
but we are not sure where we can go to find out from fellow users just
what are the benefits of switching to the 16-bit world. By benefits I
mean more than just a few more characters on the keyboard or a 12 Mhz
clock vs. a 4 Mhz clock. Clock speed is a factor but so is instruction
set efficiency. Like it or not, a 1 Mhz 6502 matches a Cromenco 4 Mhz
Z-80 in interpreted BASIC (no disk I/O), at least for the programs we
have tested.

'RE: WHY BUY AN APPLE?' has generated the sort of exchange that could be
of value to most micro users. Perhaps we could keep the exchange going
but with a somewhat more constructive format. As a non-IBM-PC user I
would like to ask the following questions:
    1) How does the 8088 in the IBM-PC address 1Megabytes of RAM?
    (Does it use a MMU to transfer to fast RAM, or does it address
    all of its 1 Megabytes directly?)
    2) What is I/O redirection? What are path searches? Are these
    functions really necessary in a single user environment?
    3) Does word processing really need a 16-bit CPU?
    4) Why does IBM market its PC  with an 8088 when it also (and for
not that much more money) sells the IBM 9000 lab computer with a
68000? Somehow the logic of that move escapes me.

In return I would be willing to recount some of the capabilities of the
Apple. As someone pointed out, the Apple is hardware oriented and I use
it as a multi-channel analyzer (2048 channels) for a gamma-ray
spectrometer and to run an X-ray spectrometer. The same machine can
function as a word processor, and routinely crunches data using a
nonlinear least squares optimization program (the later is done in
Applesoft with machine language patches). Yes the Apple can us pseudo-
disks and you soon should be able to put 1 Megabytes in it on one card.
A friend of mine has one of the new 68000 boards with 128K in his
Apple and has been keeping our local users group informed on life with
the 68000. I also have a DOS for the Apple that lets me use SSSD and
DSSD disk drives(Elite II ) at the same time (NO that one is not
available from APPLE).

                                 Wayne Robarge
                              North Carolina State University
                               (919) 737 2636
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