Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!usc!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!caesar.cs.montana.edu!ogicse!blake!ramsiri
From: ramsiri@blake.acs.washington.edu (Enartloc Nhoj)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Clones
Message-ID: <5692@blake.acs.washington.edu>
Date: 10 Feb 90 17:34:39 GMT
References: <75686@tiger.oxy.edu>
Reply-To: ramsiri@blake.acs.washington.edu (Enartloc Nhoj)
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Lines: 69

In article <75686@tiger.oxy.edu> go@oxy.edu (Paul Jonathan Estalilla Go) writes:
>Why hasn't anybody come up with a Macintosh clone yet? Is it because of the
>copyrights Apple owns? I think not. Maybe it's because our friends in the
>Pacific don't think it's financially worth it - who in Asia would buy a
>Macintosh over a PeeCee anyway, when the software base (all pirated soft-
>ware, of course) is in MS-DOS. I've never known Taiwanese to be afraid of
>copyright laws - they can find a way around it.
>
>Hmmm, with the way Apple is treating their customers (attn: John Sculley),
>there would be quite a market for a clone... Then maybe we can convince
>Apple to start treaing thier customers like customers. What other company
>can you find with trade journals having a regular section to flame the CEO?
>
>But, seriously, what would it take to make a Macintosh clone? What would
>have to be changed - the GUI? Okey, let's design a different GUI and have
>3-D icons on it. The architecture, maybe?
>
>Paul
>go@oxy.edu
>
>Reply to the net, please.


Well, i don't know if what i am using is a clone or the real thing...
.. i guess it's not the "real thing"...  

I use my Atari 1040ST (4MB simms) with a Quantum80 at 1:1 interleave
(the ATARI has a fast DMA port).  I use the ATARI side for midi,
as it has built-in midi ports.. i use NOTATOR, a fine sequencer/score
package (multi-tasking).  My Mac emulator uses the 128k roms..
i can emulate the 512 or the MacPlus.  So far, i have been running
Word 4.0, Canvas 2.0 and Hypercard, plus a slew of PD stuff and
cdevs and inits and so on.. including sound.  Since the ST is 
about 20% faster in terms of hardware than a MacPlus, i feel like
this isn't such a bad deal. Also, my monitor is 640x400..i have
a color monitor i don't use . I am not so sure it is such a good
deal to buy the atari and mac emulator as a start up purchase..

Atari 520ST with DS drive and mono monitor :    $400 
Spectre GCR emulator plus roms:			$345
Simm board and 4MB:		                $400
----------------------------------------------------
Total:                                         $1145

This gives you a 4MB, higher resolution, faster than MacPlus "mac"..
(prices are mail-order)

A 16mhz accelerator with a 32k cache can be bought for under $275.
Then this system would be running more than TWICE the speed of
an SE.

HOw do these prices compare to a "mac" ?

OTher advantages are the huge amount of midi software available
for the ST.  And some DTP packages that rival the Page Maker
and Ready Set Go and so on...  

I would like to get a Mac II ci some day..  but the prices at
this point are prohibitive.  

Thought i'd mention that i prefer the Mac environment 
well over the ST's.. though the ST's desktop is faster with
redraw and text and so on.  The simple fact that data among
Mac programs are so interchangeable with the clipboard
is enough for me to live in the mac mode of my atari 80%
of the time!

-kevin
ramsiri@blake.acs.washington.edu