Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!killer!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!pro-sol.cts.COM!mdavis From: mdavis@pro-sol.cts.COM (Morgan Davis) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple Subject: GS Case Design Idea Message-ID: <8808261736.AA09988@crash.cts.com> Date: 26 Aug 88 08:42:31 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Reply-To: pnet01!pro-sol!mdavis@nosc.mil Organization: The Internet Lines: 103 ------ Forwarded Message #1 ------ >From andyn Thu Aug 25 20:22:11 1988 Date: Thu, 25 Aug 88 20:18:17 PDT From: andyn (Andy Nicholas) To: mdavis Subject: Pass this along Morgan, Since Rob Moore is a friend of yours (I hope? :-) would you please pass this along to anyone at Apple that might be able to get something done on the "next generation of IIgs"? Your help would be appreciated. -------------< Cut Here, send to: Apple Computer Inc's Engineers >------------ How about making the GS's case 4 inches wider, and on the right-hand side (as you face the machine), put a $1.50 piece of aluminum for a mounting bracket for a 20-meg 3.5" hard drive to sit on edge (or horizontally) inside the machine. Then, beside the drive, drive, further towards the front, place a small (*QUIET*) muffin fan to cool the whole system. Then, because the GS is 4 inches wider, Apple could unbundle the GS's keyboard from the system unit (ie, abandon the gs keyboard) in favor of the Mac SE (apple standard) keyboard. Aesthetically the machine would look nicer, and the keyboard would look better in front of the wider machine. Of course, this assumes that there is an internal SCSI port in the machine, but that is a very small price to pay for such a flexible machine. This whole suggestion would result in *MANY MANY* hard drive sales for apple (since many owners won't want to install them themselves, but still leave the option open for third party developers), and better keyboard sales since the keyboard would be a separate item. Since 3.5" hard drives already exist for the Mac SE, it would be simple to take an SE drive and drop it into the GS, and viola! instant hard drive. It would also make IIgs systems slightly more portable since the owners won't have to pick up the hard drive all the time. ----- With Apple trying to bring the Mac and II lines closer together, this would be a logical move on their part, since: A) Adding a 25-pin SCSI port to the back of the IIgs will require a case modification anyway. B) The 3.5" hard drives (from apple's point of view) could be taken from the Mac SE's inventory (ie, just order more drives). C) Allow the machine to compete better with the Amiga and Atari ST, which do not make a hard drive a standard option. D) The machines would require no more service from the dealers than they already provide for the Mac SE machines, and even less knowledge about the interior since the IIgs is less complex on the inside. E) It would provide an internal drive for gs/os, which ought to be run from a hard drive anyway. F) Even if apple never provides a speed upgrade for a somewhat mythical "IIgs+" it (the hard drive upgrade) would hold the machine in good stead for at least until 1990. -- it would also provide good impetus to upgrade to the IIgs from the IIc+ (because most "normal" people will want a faster machine than the one they originally bought, and an internal hard drive would tide them over for a while). G) If apple would be looking to distinguish this newest member of the IIgs family, this would set it apart by making it appear (in my opinion) "more robust." -- by making it wider. The psychological effect of the wider case would also help apple's sales and bolster the community spirit for the IIgs. H) If Apple still worries about such a hard drive equipped IIgs hindering Mac sales, they shouldn't worry because such a machine would help to bring more people into the Apple camp. It helps to shore up the low-end of the market. After all, people always have a choice, and this would give the IIgs much more mass-appeal. The idea has so many positive aspects (both for Apple corporate *AND* for the customers) that there really shouldn't be any reason for them not to make the change in upcoming machines. You see, morgan, I've been an avid fan of Apple's since 1980 when I first started programming on the II+, and so much dearly want to see apple make the IIgs a great machine. (yes, I was 13 when I first saw one and was immediately entranced) Hope this provides a little spark for "Big Red" Thank you very much for listening, andy ------------ A good idea, no? --Morgan UUCP: crash!pnet01!pro-sol!mdavis ProLine: mdavis@pro-sol ARPANet: crash!pnet01!pro-sol!mdavis@nosc.mil InterNet: mdavis@pro-sol.cts.com