Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!munnari.oz.au!uhccux!ames!decwrl!ucbvax!UCONNVM.BITNET!SEWALL From: SEWALL@UCONNVM.BITNET (Murph Sewall) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple Subject: Re: Macintoshes, and the GS Message-ID: <9002141548.AA08264@apple.com> Date: 14 Feb 90 15:27:13 GMT References: Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: School of Business - U. of Connecticut Lines: 53 On Fri, 9 Feb 90 16:34:59 GMT you said: >> BTW: Is System 6 still planned to be released on Feb 14th? The invitation to a press bash was canceled last week. Perhaps for the reason Andy gave (below) or possibly Apple discoved that Big Blue invited everyone to the long awaited PS/2-RT (System 6000) unveiling on the same day (Apple's announcement would have been pushed to the back pages for sure). >You gotta be kidding?? There's so much turmoil at Apple right now with >Gassee's departure that his leaving will overshadow anything Apple does >(unless it's something bad). I'd kind of hope they would delay introductions >a bit until things calm down and any product releases can stand up on >their own merit (or lack of it). Eveidently, Jean Louis isn't vanishing, just resigning some of his responsibilities. Press reports say he feels he was demoted (he was) and doesn't think it fair that he's taking most of the heat for Apple's disappointing recent sales numbers. Based on what I've been hearing about the chaos among Apple's senior managers about strategic direction, it probably IS unfair to lay more than a share of the blame at Jean Louis's door. Anyway, a RAGING debate is underway (whether the problem really IS neglect of the low end and what to do about it), and there's no reasonable way a predicting the outcome. Sculley HAS announced there would be NO new low-end Mac this year (that doesn't mean the price of the SE won't fall like the proverbial stone). He conspicuously didn't say anything about a possible new Apple II (in spite of the grousing about prices, the Apple II is regarded by virtually the entire industry as a "low-end" machine -- in price terms; in performance it's relative). Apple has NOT decided whether or not to market the ROM 04 machine nor how many features (to SWIM chip or not, for instance) to put in it if they do introduce it. For those of you yelling UPGRADE!! the ROM 04 is carefully designed to use existing keybooards, monitors, and peripherals You might have to replace RAM with faster chips, or the thing might use memory caching and wait states to accomodate current RAM (it might do to express a rational opinion to Jerry Cline about your preference). No SIMMS (at least not in the current beta version). So far, the motherrboard is reported to be physically smaller than the ROM 03. How much can the case cost? You'll be able to upgrade by buying a new CPU. The economics of trade-in (with attendant administrative overhead) may be such that a motherboard swap would be as expensive as a new CPU. In short, "upgrade" seems like a non-issue. /s Murph [Internet] or ...{psuvax1 or mcvax}!uconnvm.bitnet!sewall [UUCP] + Standard disclaimer applies ("The opinions expressed are my own" etc.)