It was with dismay that I read your article on the new
motherboard upgrades offered by Apple. The pricing of
these motherboard upgrades is no different than in the
past. But it makes no sense to pay $1799 to buy an 8500
motherboard upgrade for a Power Mac 8100 and then
have to also buy the processor daughter card. Why is
Apple charging so much for these boards (a board without
a CPU cannot cost Apple more than  $300 to $400 to
manufacture)? Does it really expect people like myself,
who just paid $1900 for a Power Mac 7200/90 unit just
five months ago, to pay $1900 or more for a 7600
motherboard and a processor card?

Though Apple has a good product, it does not afford its
loyal customers much respect. If it were not for my love
of the system, I would buy an Intel-based unit to be
compatible with the office.

Cedric Johnson, via the Internet

 

 
Just wanted to pass on a note of kudos and congrats
for an especially satisfying offering of "Brave New
World" in June's issue of MacSense. 

Personally, I still cringe at the price of commercial
software. I am very quick to see Mr. Nemerovski’s
point that even a $500 program such as Photoshop
being well worth the price, but I still get sticker shock
whenever I think about buying a piece of software in
the triple digits, beyond the $150 dollar range or so.
Consequently, I don't. I do not have the need nor the
budget for such purchases.

Yet there are many programs which I also consider
indispensable. ClarisWorks is the centerpiece of my
computing life, despite the fact that I am still using
version 3.0.  I consider RAM Doubler to be one of the
best investments I have ever made in commercial
software. I dare say, though, that my short list of
must-haves nearly stops there.

I am a strong advocate of shareware, and find many
programs of that nature which do the job for me quite
adequately. I won't go into detail, but suffice to say
that I do not need the power that a Word, Excel or
Photoshop provides, and I would much rather spend
$300 on a Zip drive and few cartridges, and even
have some cash left over to register a shareware
program or two.  

Mike Wallinga, via the Internet

 

 
Once again Greg Kramer has knocked me off my feet.
“Virtuality” (Cerebreality, June 1996 freezine)
offers a powerful analysis of the lure of virtual reality
and how its realization is often cold and sterile. What
are we to do with people who retreat into such worlds
of their own creation, preferring artificial, non-
committal interaction with the rest of the world? Is
this a new form of addiction? A sickness? Or just a
lifestyle choice? The questions are numerous and the
answers still unfolding. 

I work all day at a Mac. I love my Macintosh, as do
most Mac owners. But when the evening rolls around
and I finish up work for the day, the last thing I want
to do is be locked up in a dark room, surfing the net
looking for artificial interaction. Perhaps I’ve turned
over a new leaf. Reality is both a new curiosity and a
powerful tonic. Whether it is the chilling cold of a
snowy day of the bustle of people in a busy market,
it’s real. And it’s where I want to be.

David Parker, via the Internet.

 

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