Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!plaid!chuq
From: chuq@plaid.Sun.COM (Chuq Von Rospach)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Tandy diversifies into the toaster market?
Message-ID: <41968@sun.uucp>
Date: 15 Feb 88 19:17:05 GMT
References: <5442@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu> <8174@eddie.MIT.EDU>
Sender: news@sun.uucp
Reply-To: chuq@sun.UUCP (Chuq Von Rospach)
Organization: Fictional Reality, uLtd
Lines: 44

>>  Tandy just posted a message in misc.jobs.offered looking for programmers.
>>If you have expeience in 8088/80386 assembly, C, OR MACINTOSH PROGRAMMING.
>>blah blah blah....

>A number of things I have heard recently seem to add up to Tandy
>making a real attempt at cloning the Mac. I have heard rumors that
>Phoenix, famed cloners of IBM-PC BIOS code, are working on a Mac ROM
>clone. I think I recall seeing recruitment ads from them looking for
>680x0 people.

>Putting such a machine on the market in the near future makes
>excellent sense, since Apple has departed the low end of the Mac
>market leaving nothing but a vacuum to suck in the clone makers.
>Personally, I think Apple deserves a bit of competition at this point,
>because the Mac hasn't become the computer for the rest of us

And Tandy may be the only corporation large and gutsy enough to go after
Apple and call their "look and feel" bluff. Would Apple really sue? Would
they win? Who knows.

A low cost entry level Mac clone would be interesting. Would also perhaps
make problems for the Mac development market, since we'd now have
'compatible' and 'compatible' -- just take a look at the "hayes compatible'
modem market if you want a practical example of the chaos that can ensue
in a 'compatible' amrket, look there.

So low cost clones aren't necessarily an unmixed blessing.

Let me also point out another possibility. with the advent of the
Presentaiton Manager, Windows, Mice, and all this stuff IBM has decided to
invent for the PC world, there's a growing need for people who can program
that stuff. The only place where you can currently find those kinds of folks
are ni the Mac world. So if you're looking for strong, window based mouse
oriented event driven programmers to go after IBM in the OS/2 world, the
perfect place to find them is in Mac-Land.

Just a thought....

chuq

Chuq Von Rospach			chuq@sun.COM		Delphi: CHUQ

                       What do you mean 'You don't really want to hurt her?'
                                    I'm a Super-Villain! That's my Schtick!