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From: bill@crystal.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro.mac
Subject: Re: In favor of skinny Macs.
Message-ID: <440@crystal.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 12-Apr-85 15:00:30 EST
Article-I.D.: crystal.440
Posted: Fri Apr 12 15:00:30 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 15-Apr-85 02:56:59 EST
References: <476@qumix.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: U of Wisconsin CS Dept
Lines: 44

> 
> 
> In favor of skinny Macs:
> 
> Recently the trend is towards more and more Ram with more and more disk
> storeage and hard disks to compensate for the access time needed to
> retrieve all those big files.  This is driven by software houses that
> employ large staffs of programmers to develop integrated software that
> since it is developed in pieces and glued together is never
> code-optimized.  It takes time to do that and time is money.
> 
> ... I believe this is
> unnecessary.  Suppose the new finder were available soon in ROM for the
> 128k Mac?  Then suppose that everything were slimmed down to accomodate
> faster operation.  Then suppose everyone got hot on the idea of
> devloping integrated software for 128k instead of 512k.  This would
> probably be done by smaller software houses and hackers since the
> larger ones wouldn't see enough R.O.I. on this.  Now lets use things
> like the Skipfinder DA or a 128k version of Switcher (anyone want to
> try that?).  Then lets get the hardware hackers involved in speeding up
> the internal 400k disk drive (after all 400k should be enough).

There is something to this suggestion; however, the economics don't work
well now for purchasers of new machines (BTW, I don't know how Apple is
pricing the 512 vs 128K mac; dealer price difference is around $100, I've
heard).  16 * $12 = $192, 16 * $2 = $32, so for a $160 price difference
at a local electronics store (I've seen 256K RAMS in the $8 range) you have
the extra memory at retail prices.  This amounts to around a 10% increase
in price from a fat to a skinny mac at retail selling prices.

The real question is "will the 128K mac market be abandoned by software
producers?"  I think not, as 128K applications that work with the switcher
will be in demand;  but for a small increment in cost (under $100 if you
upgrade your mac by yourself RIGHT NOW), you get a much more flexible
machine.  

		bill cox

-- 
	William Cox
	Computer Sciences Department
	University of Wisconsin, Madison WI
	bill@uwisc
	...{ihnp4,seismo,allegra}!uwvax!bill