Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!jarthur!spectre.ccsf.caltech.edu!tybalt.caltech.edu!toddpw
From: toddpw@tybalt.caltech.edu (Todd P. Whitesel)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: A Low-End Macintosh?!
Message-ID: <1990Mar2.083026.29151@spectre.ccsf.caltech.edu>
Date: 2 Mar 90 08:30:26 GMT
References: <9003020618.AA22592@apple.com>
Sender: news@spectre.ccsf.caltech.edu
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
Lines: 45

In article <9003020618.AA22592@apple.com> sysop@pro-generic.cts.com (Matthew Montano) writes:

> But in order to keep it's product line organized, a low-priced
>resonably performing Macintosh is almost impossible. The Mac Plus and Mac SE
>would have to be dropped for a low-end Mac to make any sense. It's ridicoulous
>that Apple should have to put itself through such product shuffling to provide
>a product which already exists.

The Mac product line has been overextended too soon for its own good. Lots of
people want to nuke the black and white macs so only color will be left, but
that can't happen until there is a low cost *color* mac to replace them.

Apparently, however, Macintosh + color = $$$.

>Apple's low-end Mac is sitting in front of me. With thousands upon thousands
>software packages available for it. Development tools and operating system
>firmly entrenched and only getting better. Widespread availability of
>experienced 65C02 and 65C816 programmers only helps. An open architecture
>invites hardware products to be installed, and plently exist at the present.
>Apple's educational machine already exists with the IIgs's fantastic
>networking
>support. The IIgs already has decent colour that schools seem to demand. The 
>interface is easy to use after 6 years of refiniment.

Which is great but without advertising and official (i.e. VERY VISIBLE)
support and development, the rest of the industry won't buy into the idea.
They haven't for years.

>All this talk of a HyperCard for the GS, System 6.0, ROM04 and so on can only
>make the future brighter. Corrections in pricing will immedieately remedy
>a grave situation. 

It's going to take more than that. Apple is losing their // market daily to
other companies and you can bet that many of those customers are NOT coming
back.

>There are few reasons that the IIgs can't become a home-computing standard,
>putting branches into education, small-business, and music especially.

Such as: Its own company won't treat it seriously.

once that is taken care of there is nothing else in the way.

Todd Whitesel
toddpw @ tybalt.caltech.edu