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From: paul@imsvax.UUCP (Paul Knight)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: IBM's new machines
Message-ID: <708@imsvax.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 24-Apr-87 21:39:55 EST
Article-I.D.: imsvax.708
Posted: Fri Apr 24 21:39:55 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 26-Apr-87 01:43:38 EST
Organization: IMS Inc, Rockville MD
Lines: 42





    It's hard to make a living betting against IBM.  Only a few years ago,
UNIX and the 68000 chip stood poised to take the world by storm and IBM
introduced a machine so shabby when contrasted to what was possible that
the mag editors all laughed.  Obviously, they're no longer laughing.

    The PC filled a niche which was really empty at the time.  The
super-micros of the day were all $10,000 or abouts, all closed
architecturally.  Near total lack of standards prevented free
interchange of files as well as the kind of superior software which now
exists in the DOS world.  Meanwhile, the micros had crashed into the
brick wall of the 64K limit of 8080's and z80's, and the PC offered the
only cheap way out of that situation, as well as the IBM label.

    I can't see that the new IBM machines fill any kind of a need which
is not currently being met by AT clones or, in fact, do anything at all
which isn't already being done at a third the price.  In fact, users of
these machines will find themselves alone in being locked out of the two
most interesting technologies which are due to come out this year:
superior graphics based on the new TI chip and really high storage 3.5"
floppies (2-10 mb).

    Present 8-10 mh AT clones with Seagate or MaxStore disks are
approaching the point of ridiculous speed now;  98% of their users will
never come close to needing the speed which is actually available, hence
I simply can't see IBM selling any of the PS2's because the machines out
there now are two slow.  In fact, I can't see how anyone plans to sell
them at all unless they are simply displayed in the gift section of
department stores usually marked "OUR MOST USELESS GIFTS FOR THAT RICH
RELATIVE WHO ALREADY HAS EVERYTHING", along with the hand-carved tooth
picks, belly-button brushes, left-handed hammers......

Ted Holden
HT Enterprises
-- 
                                Paul Knight

           God created man in his own image.
           Man, being a grateful creature, returned the favor.