Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ncar!mephisto!udel!princeton!phoenix!bskendig
From: bskendig@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Brian Kendig)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Possible Macintosh Clones??
Message-ID: <13817@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>
Date: 12 Feb 90 21:55:52 GMT
References: <3432.25d5c924@vax5.cit.cornell.edu>
Reply-To: bskendig@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Brian Kendig)
Organization: Systems Engineering, NASA Space Station Freedom Project
Lines: 81

In article <3432.25d5c924@vax5.cit.cornell.edu> pv9y@vax5.cit.cornell.edu writes:
>I have an idea which might solve the low cost Mac problem and create a larger
>Mac market in the process.  It's a fact that a main reason why the PC's are so
>popular is that everyone cloned them and undercut IBM in price.  Apple has
>always refused to allow such competition by keeping the technology secret (or
>least closely guarded).  Think about what would happen if Apple started
>licensing the technology needed to produce a Mac+ with the 128K ROMS.  

Then they would stand to lose a large share of their market.  Apple
has a monopoly on Macs right now.  If they were primarily interested
in providing a low-cost machine to the public, they would by all means
encourage the existance of Mac clones.  Because they are primarily
interested in making money, however, they want to make sure that no
one encroaches on their territory.  I can't blame them.

>1) A lot of companies would start producing Mac clones that would undoubtedly
>be cheaper than the standard Plus, so there would be cheap, low-end machines
>for the masses to whet their consumer teeth on.  This would help the Mac gain
>a greater share of the market through basic economic competition.

Of course!  Macs would become much more popular.  Lots of little
companies would spring up and offer low-cost Mac clones, and grab a
healthy share of the market.  Apple's Plus and SE would become
drastically less popular against the cheaper, equally-powerful clones.

>2) Apple would be able to concentrate on the newer, faster, neater machines
>and the new System software without having to make as many compromises to keep
>both ends of the market happy.

Meanwhile, other companies would make cheap machines, make money, and
make bugs.  We might see a computer that would be a cross between a
Mac and an IBM, to which you could add all sorts of third-party
boards.  The entire definition of what a Mac is would be out of
Apple's hands.  Eventually, more advanced Mac clones would be created
to rival the Macintosh II.  Apple would suffer by having to bring its
prices for its high-end machines down.

>3) Apple would make money on the licensing and on the sale of System software,
>which would remain Apple property.

And people all over the world would complain about having to pay for
the System software that was once provided to them for free.
Meanwhile, the manufacturers of clones would opt to create their own
hacked System Software rather than have to pay royalties to Apple.

>4) As Macs became obsolete, as the SE is rapidly doing, Apple could license
>technology for that machine, and so on.  This would keep the clone makers in
>business, but they would always have to be one step behind Apple because Apple
>would retain control of the leading edge technologies.  If a clone maker ever
>challenged Apple, Apple could either respond to the challenge and make a
>better, cheaper machine or cheat and change the specs to prevent System
>software from working on the challenger's machine.

What if the competitor makes the better, cheaper machine?  And what if
the competitor makes a perfectly good set of system software that is
designed not to run on Apple's machines?

>5) Apple's reputation would also benefit because there would be less of a
>sense that Apple is merely trying to gouge the user for the most money
>possible since they have a monopoly on the Mac hardware.

And they would be thought of as very nice guys until they ran out of
money and were forced to fold, at which time they would be forgotten.

>I'm sure that my logic isn't impeccable, but I still think a program something
>like what I've outlined above would do wonders for the Macintosh system as a
>whole without hurting Apple in any way.  Comments??????

I don't know what the solution is, but I trust Apple to keep to the
true spirit of the Macintosh.  Compare programs by Claris with hacks
written by third-party companies.  I'd hate to see the same
relationship applied to the Mac.

At any rate, Apple will not easily give up their market.

     << Brian >>
-- 
| Brian S. Kendig      \ Macintosh |   Engineering,   | bskendig             |
| Computer Engineering |\ Thought  |  USS Enterprise  | @phoenix.Princeton.EDU
| Princeton University |_\ Police  | -= NCC-1701-D =- | @PUCC.BITNET         |
|   Systems Engineering, NASA Space Station Freedom / General Electric WP3   |