Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!rutgers!topaz!rhsu From: rhsu@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU (Robert Hsu) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: IBM's new System 2 Personal Computers Message-ID: <10987@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU> Date: Mon, 13-Apr-87 13:23:17 EST Article-I.D.: topaz.10987 Posted: Mon Apr 13 13:23:17 1987 Date-Received: Sat, 18-Apr-87 18:49:57 EST References: <775@oliveb.UUCP> <1579@bnrmtv.UUCP> <1339@uwmacc.UUCP> <1414@sphinx.uchicago.edu> <194@eli.UUCP> Distribution: na Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J. Lines: 91 > From: geller@eli.UUCP (David Geller) > > In article <1414@sphinx.uchicago.edu> (Richard L. Goerwitz III) writes: > > I strongly suspect that my next computer will be a Macintosh II ... > > ... Anyhow - why buy a MAC II. Maybe the case is nice, and the mouse > is smooth - but wouldn't you prefer a nicer OS. A nicer OS? I take it you mean Unix, and not Messy-DOS. Anyway, what's wrong with the Mac's OS? It's flexible, it's powerful, and it's certainly easy to use. > And also - how many MAC owners really take advantage of the graphics > capabilities provided by the MAC? And how many really like the interface? > Probably many - but does everyone - or are people get tired of a > forced-mouse environment (in most situations). In other words, what you are trying to say is: ``Most Mac users really take advantage of the graphics capabilities and like the interface, but some people get tired of the forced-mouse environment in most situations.'' The graphics capability of the Mac is what makes it such a unique machine, and is what most people like about it. The high resolution of the images makes them really realistic. Now you can argue that a PC with a graphics card can achieve better resolution than the Mac, which is true. But, the appearance is not as sharp, and, what's more important, pictures on the PC cannot be manipulated as easily as on the Mac. The Mac environment forces all applications to use the same format for graphics, so they can be easily transported between applications. Can you do that on a PC? Do you have an equivalent of the Mac Scrapbook? As for the forced mouse situation, that depends on the application. Microsoft Word, for example, can function without the mouse at all. > Instead of a MAC II it makes a lot more sense to buy an AT clone, > Microport System V, Ventura Publisher (when in DOS mode), and a mouse (for > Ventura). Really? The Mac II runs Unix also, and, as you probably know, the whole Macintosh line was designed for easy desktop publishing. How much does Ventura cost? Probably a whole lot. You can do a better job on a Mac with an inexpensive program such as Macdraw, and with more ease. Besides, you don't pay extra for the mouse. (And, if you really are sadistic enough to want to run DOS, you can plug in a card to do it.) > What do you get - a fast personal computer that is expandable, > can run a REAL OS, can run a well supported OS (DOS), can do VERY VERY fine > desktop publishing, and more. WHY BUY A MAC when you can buy a SUN or an > AT clone? If you were given a choice between a Sun and an AT clone, which would you buy? I will assume that you will want the Sun. Now, suppose you can't afford it, and have to settle for an AT clone or a Mac II, which would you buy? I assume you will want the AT clone. But wait a minute, let's compare the two to a Sun (which is your first choice). The Sun shares more similarities with the Mac II than with an AT clone. You can tell that just by looking at the screens. They are both bit-mapped and the graphics on both look a whole lot alike: crisp and sharp. They share the 68020; they both have a mouse. They both have easy to use window systems. In fact, the Mac windows are even nicer than Suntools. What do you have on the AT clones? The best you can do is MS-Windows, which is a joke compared to the Mac. Remember what all the PC fans said when the Mac first came out? Then they started to copy the interface (GEM and Windows). Shame! How can you lower yourselves to such a degree as to copy the childish interface of a toy computer? If you were real men/women, you would renounce it all and go back to your good old DOS. But that means you won't be able to run PageMaker... Well, I guess you'll just have to do without desktop publishing... > David Geller > Electric Logic, Inc. > Washington, D.C. -Rob ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Robert Hsu DISCLAIMER: I disclaim any responsibility for rhsu@topaz.rutgers.edu inaccuracies, misinformation, and fabrications ...!rutgers!topaz!rhsu that appeared in the preceding article. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Vidi, Vici, Veni" "Coito ergo sum"