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From: ag0@k.cc.purdue.edu (Colin Jenkins)
Newsgroups: net.micro.apple
Subject: Re: to Upgrade, or not to Upgrade, that is the question!
Message-ID: <1547@k.cc.purdue.edu>
Date: Mon, 13-Oct-86 14:09:23 EDT
Article-I.D.: k.1547
Posted: Mon Oct 13 14:09:23 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 14-Oct-86 06:46:47 EDT
References: <8610102141.AA08083@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center
Lines: 53
Summary: Upgrades should be based on your needs...

In article <8610102141.AA08083@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>, abc@BRL.ARPA (Brint Cooper) writes:
> 
> Tamir Weiner asks whether to update or keep is Apple II+ and 'live in
> 1979.'
> 
> What about us?  My wife has an Apple IIe, 2 drives, RS-232 board and
> printer interface, also a printer.  She owns this machine for
> compatibility with her professional environment.
> 
> She is a public school teacher of children in Grade 4.  Her school is
> about to get a 'computer laboratory' consisting ultimately of 12 Apple
> IIe machines connected via a 'network.'  
 
> Are 8-bit machines obsolete?  Should our schools throw out their Apple
> IIe investment for "larger" machines.

8-bit machines should never become obsolete for elementary education.  Since
they will come down in price soon, they will be ideal.  These machines have
been satisfying serious programmers and businesses for years and still do. 
They should be more than sufficient to introduce 12 year-olds to the world
of computing.
 
> Perhaps our existing machines are not  as "obsolete" as the industry
> would have us believe.  If they still do useful work for us, are
> they obsolete?

Good point.

> Tamir, if one were purchasing his/her first computer, I'd not recommend
> a IIGS or anything less than a Mac/Amiga/PC-AT level machine.  But you
> have a computer; so do I.  The question for both of us is:   What do we
> want to do at home that our present hardware won't do?  What's the
> cheapest/easiest/quickest way to get that capability?
>
> Brint

More good points, however the question is also about whether it is better to
upgrade or buy new.  I own an Apple //e and would not dream of selling it.
Unfortunately, continuous upgrades bring with them the risk of incompatability.
If I had a choice between upgrading my //e to a mac class computer, or buying
a mac for $500-$1000 more, I would save my pennies and buy the mac (actually,
I can't stand mac's, it is present in this missive for illustrative purposes
only!!).  It is important to remember that you may need new capabilities later
on and you need to guarantee that you don't have to spend even MORE on the 
upgrade to get the capabilities you should have gotten with the first.  The 
important points here are to consider what you NEED or WANT and if your present
system supports those needs then hang on to it.  On the other hand, if you 
require more than what you have now, (like multitasking or large data base
applications) I would seriously consider buying new.  By the time you have 
invested in all the upgrades, you may have spent enough to buy new AND 
guarantee compatibility.

				Colin