Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!pro-sol.cts.COM!andyn
From: andyn@pro-sol.cts.COM (Andy Nicholas)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: re:IIgs case redesign idea
Message-ID: <8808291037.AA02415@crash.cts.com>
Date: 29 Aug 88 05:33:08 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: pnet01!pro-sol!andyn@nosc.mil
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 68


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Re: adding space inside the IIgs case for an internal hard drive

>If they did (which I doubt) make this GS with an internal Hd, I doubt there
>would be an upgrade.

Why?  Apple has provided upgrades from the IIe to the IIgs, from the II+ to
the IIe, from the Mac 128 to the Mac 512, from the Mac 512 to the Mac+. Apple
has a proven track-record on that score.  It would be simple.  The GS's case
costs a very SMALL amount in quantity, so for apple, it would probably cost
(max) $5 per case.  Of course they'd charge us $200 for the case alone, so I
would hope the upgrade would only cost $500 or so for new case and all.

>  It would boost the number of people still undecided on a computer buying
>Apple IIgs's, but I doubt they would upgrade the current GS to accomidate
>the extra 4 inches.

And why not?  Apple would sure like to sell all of the almost 1,000,000
existing owners of GS's new cases so that they can buy APPLE hard drives.
1,000,000 potential hard drive sales to existing owners with a proven track
record for buying equipment -- it makes alot of sense to me!

>I am thinking about buying a new keyboard, either the MAC II or MAC SE
>keyboard but I am really not sure yet.  Alot of people have already bought
>MAC II or MAC SE keyboards and are using then on there GS so I doubt there
>would be any problem in convincing people to buy the keyboard.

Exactly.  The current "Apple Standard" keyboards are *MUCH* better than the
existing GS keyboards.  Why do you think I want them to get rid of the clunky
GS keyboard?  As for the upgrade, let the existing owners keep their kwyboards
if they wish, or get new ones (but they would have to pay, just like the folks
getting new machines).  I wouldn't get upset if Apple offered me a great
machine, with an option for an internal hard drive, as an upgrade, but left
out the keyboard.

>But as for the upgrade, 
>
>1) How do you ADD four inches to the GS?
>2) You'd have to rewire a bunch of stuff to acomidate the 25 pin SCSI cable.
>3) Who's going to want to upgrade their GS like that when it'll probally be
>   about the same price to buy a 40 meg HD?

1) You add 4 inches by redesigning the IIgs's case.  You have some dude make
   a new mold for the plastic for the case, and add about 1 square foot of
   extra aluminum shielding for the inside.  Then add the mounting bracket.
   If you worked it right, there's enough room to horizontally mount 2! 3.5"
   hard drives inside.  Of course you'd *REALLY* need a fan then.

2) That's exactly the point.  All of the rumors coming from Cupertino point
   to the fact that the "next IIgs" will have a built-in SCSI port.  So,
   because you HAVE to redesign the case for the SCSI port, why not add the
   the additional space for the internal drive while you're at it.  You have
   to make the case WIDER to fit in the SCSI port (or mount the connectors on
   the sides, which is just plain DUMB).

3) If apple ever announces "the next IIgs machine," we are assuming that 
   they will do something to make it worth our while to get it.  If they
   make it faster, I'll be the first to fly to Cupertino to get one, and
   the SPACE for the internal hard drive is just a bonus. (a VERY NICE
   bonus :-)
   

Andy Nicholas

ARPA: crash!pnet01!pro-sol!andyn@nosc.MIL
INET: andyn@pro-sol.CTS.COM
College: nicholaA@moravian.EDU