Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!sdcsvax!ucsdhub!hp-sdd!hplabs!hpda!hpsmtc1!kwallich
From: kwallich@hpsmtc1.HP.COM (Ken Wallich)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Macs, IBMs, and compatibility.
Message-ID: <11540095@hpsmtc1.HP.COM>
Date: 23 Dec 87 21:15:18 GMT
References: <37250@sun.uucp>
Organization: Hewlett Packard, Cupertino
Lines: 37

Something left out of the discussion was that IBM does provide a
"compatability mode" to run old MS-DOS programs.  I quote here
from the article "IBM confirms in the OS/2 manual that many
MS-DOS progams won't run, including some communications programs,
networked programs, and a miscellanea of others".  For this semi
functional "compatibility box" you need to add an additional
512K, a total of 2MB.  Jim Bartimo also mentions that it will
currently run you $500-600 for a memory card (512K!).  That
seems a bit high to me, can anyone confirm it?

Also mentioned is the fact that currently the only OS/2 program is
ThinkTank (can you say MacPaint/MacWrite?), and that other companies
are waiting for the Presentation manager to be delivered (ETA:
OCTOBER NINETEEN HUNDRED EIGHTY EIGHT!).  

I just went through and tested a bunch of system utility type stuff written 
in 1984-1985 that I got for my mac128K, on my MacII.  About 90% of the 
stuff worked just dandy, with few side effects (granted, things like
memory tests and disk tests failed).  These were written with
only the "Promotional Edition" of Inside Mac available as documentation,
and probably written on a Lisa.  I'd say that chances of an original
version of some utility for the IBM PC would have less of a chance
of running on a PS/2 machine.  Although I have my problems with Apple,
and was not pleased with them during the $1000-for-a-384K-upgrade
days for one of the folks who *BOUGHT* a 128K mac for $2500, but they
still make the best box on the market, and certaily are better to
their customer base than big blue.

End of soapbox.


--------------------
Ken Wallich			*My views are mine, and mine alone*
Consultant			"Slimey? Mud Hole? my HOME this is!"
DCI 				kwallich@hpsmtc1.HP.COM
@Hewlett Packard		...hplabs!hpsmtc1!kwallich

"Why am I soft in the middle, when the rest of my life is so hard? - P.Simon"