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From: wmb@sun.uucp (Mitch Bradley)
Newsgroups: net.micro.mac
Subject: Re: mac compatibles ?
Message-ID: <1807@sun.uucp>
Date: Sun, 25-Nov-84 19:50:12 EST
Article-I.D.: sun.1807
Posted: Sun Nov 25 19:50:12 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 27-Nov-84 03:48:57 EST
References: <91@vectron.UUCP>
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Lines: 31

> 	Is any company out there coming out with a Mac compatible ?
> 
> 	During the past few years, whenever a new computer was introduced,
> many new companies sprang up and started making compatible computers.
> This did not happen to the Mac.  It has been out for several months and
> no company has made a compatible (not including the Lisa which can run many
> of the Mac programs.)

Personally, I think it would be hard to compete with Apple by making a
cheaper Mac.  Apple's cost for the hardware can't be more than a few
hundred dollars, which means they can easily match any price cuts.

Even more important is the Macintosh ROM, which is as much a
part of the Macintosh as the hardware.  I'll bet it would be pretty hard
to quickly duplicate the functionality of that ROM without copying it.

Having won the lawsuit about the original Apple ROM, Apple looks to be
in a good position to challenge attempted copiers of the Macintosh ROM.

Looks to me like Apple has what amounts to a proprietary software interface.

I think Apple has already optimized the Mac to the point where they
can cut the throats of any price-cutting competition. (Of course, somebody
will probably prove me wrong.  Where there's a will...)

However, a higher performance Mac compatible might be interesting.
Perhaps the ROM functionality could be duplicated in a reasonable
time by throwing memory at the problem.

Waiting with interest,
Mitch Bradley