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From: roy@bonnie.ics.uci.edu ( John Roy)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Apple Gets Greedier (Read it and Weep!)
Keywords: Apple, Mac, Prices, Rip-off
Message-ID: <702@paris.ICS.UCI.EDU>
Date: 14 Sep 88 00:28:28 GMT
References: <1018@lakesys.UUCP> <68072@sun.uucp> <68083@sun.uucp>
Sender: news@paris.ics.uci.edu
Reply-To: roy@bonnie.ics.uci.edu ( John Roy)
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Organization: University of California, Irvine - Dept. of ICS
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So, ok the Mac prices are going up.  This is even more reason for
*someone* to develop a Mac "clone" :-).  Yes, I know they will
probably be sued.  But I bet they could make a good case on alot of
fronts [if they did the "clone" properly].  Free trade, the look and
feel suit, the Phoinex BIOS, and the current HP/Microsoft suit would
all be critical to the outcome.

The "clone" would not be a real copy.  All that would be needed would
be to affect a *functional* Mac OS and interface.  This could be done
with a lot of windowing environments and a new OS [yes, this is not a
venture for the light hearted nor the light pocketed].  Or how about a
object code translator which takes Mac applications and translates
them to "Clone" applications.  

Yes, this would not be easy and may not be economically feasible; but
Apple has just made the economic case a easier to make.  And the
rewards would be extensive.  

How about a 88000 based, X-windows, monochrome system, with two 800K
floppies and 2 Mbytes RAM for $1500, or less?

I have always wondered what is stopping people from doing this?  Look
at Compaq!
--
John M.A. Roy. UC Irvine/Fail-Safe Technology
ICS Dept., Univ. Calif., Irvine CA 92714
Internet: roy@ics.uci.edu  CompuServe: 76167,2527