Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!decwrl!labrea!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!topaz.rutgers.edu!witting From: witting@topaz.rutgers.edu (Paul K Willing) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac Subject: Mac IIv - inexpensive Mac II box Message-ID: Date: 11 Apr 89 05:02:10 GMT Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J. Lines: 37 This idea recently struck me, so I thought Id throw it out on the net to see what others thought, and with the hope that Apple might pick up on it (or better yet, "we were about to release it...") I have never liked the standard macs. I don't like 9" screens, and I dont like machines that don't expand easily. As a result, I am being pushed into a Mac IIcx. Granted it a lovely machine, but it is a bit of overkill for my purposes (esp cause Im aiming for a 4/80). THE IDEA: Take a Mac IIcx box, pull out the 68030, the MMU, the math co-processor, and any other expensive bits that aren't required. Drop in the standard 6800 and a regular Floppy drive. Actually, Apple may prefer to do a complete board revision to prevent quick and dirty upgrades, but you get the picture. We could call it a Mac IIv (for value or some such nonsense). THE RESULT: A low cost (chuckle, ok, less expensive) expandable Mac. Idealy this sucker would sell for about what an SE does (maybe a little less and put it head to head with the SE). It would lower the entry level for color/greyscale Mac's, increase the market size for Mac II series expansion cards, and maybe help lower Mac IIcx production costs through higher volumes (esp if the board remained common) Personally Id pay the extra just for the larger screen. Does anybody else have comments on this? paul -- ---------------------------------------------------------------- Graphiti on the wall of civil rights organization in the sixties "There is a town in Mississippi named Liberty There is a Department in Washington called Justice" A more socially aware sort of .sig witting@topaz.rutgers.edu