Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!rutgers!umn-d-ub!cs.umn.edu!kanefsky
From: kanefsky@umn-cs.cs.umn.edu (Steve Kanefsky)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware
Subject: Re: Buying a new system - request advice
Message-ID: <1990Feb21.050817.15808@umn-cs.cs.umn.edu>
Date: 21 Feb 90 05:08:17 GMT
References: <1990Feb20.225051.1905@athena.mit.edu> <1990Feb21.034820.5913@smsc.sony.com>
Organization: University of Minnesota, Minneapolis - CSCI Dept.
Lines: 32

In article <1990Feb21.034820.5913@smsc.sony.com> dce@Sony.COM (David Elliott) writes:
>In article <1990Feb20.225051.1905@athena.mit.edu> dresnick@athena.mit.edu (David I Resnick) writes:
>>2)  Memory
>>    I think that 5MB is about right.  What is the best source for
>>memory?
>
>5MB is probably not a good idea.  If you decide to upgrade (to 8, 20,
>or 32), you'll be stuck with 4 basically useless 256K SIMMs (if you go
>to 32, you'll have 4 1MB SIMMs, but those are still pretty useful).
>
>Given virtual memory in System 7.0, 4MB should be fine.  Given the
>price of memory these days, 8MB should be inexpensive enough to go
>with.

5MB is the configuration one gets after adding 4 1MB SIMMS to the
1MB (4 256K SIMMS) that comes with two of the three standard configurations
of the IIci, IIcx, IIx, and SE/30.  It's much cheaper to do this than
to buy the 4MB RAM/80MB hard disk configurations that Apple sells, which
adds $1400 to the cost, even at University of Minnesota educational
prices.  It's much cheaper to buy the RAM separately.  You could get
a 105MB Quantum hard disk and 4MB additional RAM and still save $400-500.

On the other hand, the 1MB RAM/40MB hard disk configurations typically
add only $300-$425 ($300 for the SE/30, $425 for the IIci) to the cost,
which is well worth it, since the Quantum 40MB internals tend to sell
for $450 or so (but with a better warranty).

I'll never understand how Apple determines its price structuring.

-- 
Steve Kanefsky             
kanefsky@umn-cs.cs.umn.edu