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From: sunila@vlsisj.VLSI.COM (Sunil Ashtaputre)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Buying a Mac
Message-ID: <5323@vlsisj.VLSI.COM>
Date: 2 Aug 88 17:18:53 GMT
Reply-To: sunila@vlsisj.UUCP (Sunil Ashtaputre)
Organization: VLSI Technology Inc., San Jose, CA
Lines: 46


	(I am repeating this because I sent it out with the wrong subject line -
sorry for the repeat).

	Many thanks to everyone who responded to my earlier posting on
what Mac configuration to buy! - isn't the net wonderful ?!. There were
too many people to respond individually to each one, so this is a collective
thanks to all !

	Here's the summary of responses I have received so far - please
keep responding if you have new suggestions; I will post an updated summary
if I get enough new responses. Btw, I am planning on actually buying it
around the end of this month, so I still have time to collect responses.

(1) Hardware - many people thought the mac 2 was overkill and that the SE was
ample; one responder thought the plus was the best deal going, while another
suggested I buy a 2 to allow for growing future needs.
	
	Everyone recommended going for 2-2.5 Mb of memory and a 20 Mb (min)
hard disc; most people recommended 40 - 80 Mb disc. Opinion was divided on 
1 or 2 floppy drives. 

	Although some responders suggested non-Apple printers, at least one
felt that the Mac was best with a Apple printer.

(2) Software - I got positive recommendations for

	compilers - Lightspeed C / Pascal (many); Turbo Pascal;
	word proc - WriteNow, Word (also one negative one for word);
	utilities - SUM (disk recovery);
		    Suitcase (organise fonts and disks);
		    SuperPaint;
		    Excel;
		    Microphone, MacTerminal (communication).

3) Price - everyone was unanimous that Apple student prices were the best deal
going for the Mac. Many people suggested third party peripherals were just as 
good and cheaper, however; (buy a dual floppy SE; save enough by not buying a 
Apple hard disk to buy a third party external drive, suggested one). One poster
recommended MacConnection, a mail-order house in NH, for discount prices on
software (btw, I would appreciate a number/address for them).

	So - thanks for the suggestions, and keep the replies rolling if you
have new suggestions.

Sunil Ashtaputre
408-434-7609