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- Path: sparky!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!ub!oswego!ostroff
- From: ostroff@Oswego.EDU (Boyd Ostroff)
- Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
- Subject: Re: Powerbook 100 and the others!!!
- Message-ID: <1992Jul29.132932.781@oswego.Oswego.EDU>
- Date: 29 Jul 92 13:29:32 GMT
- References: <920540.2A74E38F@cmhgate.fidonet.org> <Bs41Ct.9rI@DMI.USherb.CA>
- Sender: news@oswego.Oswego.EDU (Network News)
- Reply-To: ostroff@oswego.Oswego.EDU (Boyd Ostroff)
- Organization: Instructional Computing Center, SUNY at Oswego, Oswego, NY
- Lines: 47
-
- In article <Bs41Ct.9rI@DMI.USherb.CA> martin@DMI.USherb.CA writes:
- >
- >I think that by today standards, Apple should drop the Powerbook 100
- >and by the way the Classic. The latter is by far to slow. The Classic II
- >would become the entry level mac.
-
- This kind of logic really bothers me. How do you arrive at the conclusion
- that they are "far too slow"? For 3D graphics and scientific computing
- they are very slow. For word processing and terminal emulation they
- are perfectly acceptable. I'm typing this on a Quadra 900 right now and
- guess what - I don't find it any more desirable than the Mac Plus across
- the room. I suspect that a Mac 128 with MacTerminal would be fine too.
-
- I think that Apple did the right thing with the Classic; they refined
- the Plus and brought it down to a price level within the reach of students
- and other budget-minded users. When they find they need more power, they
- can sell it (providing an even cheaper Mac for the buyer) and get something
- better.
-
- Each year the entry level machines get more powerful, but the price stays
- about the same (around the $1000 mark). I think Apple would do better to
- keep a base level machine like the Classic but continue to lower the price
- instead of upping the performance. One rumor I have read is that Apple
- will introduce a version of the Classic with ROM-based software and printer
- to be sold through consumer channels next Christmas for about $1000. If
- so I think they will do very well with such a product.
-
- I think it all comes down to this: if a particular machine is profitable
- for the company they will continue to market it. Now I know this gets
- complicated by the fact that System 7 and newer applications want lots of
- memory and faster CPU's. Still, I know LOTS of people that never use their
- macs for anything but WORD PROCESSING. They are completely happy with their
- Plusses, SE's and even 512's and 128's! Why do you want to force them to
- buy more computer than they need at a price higher than they can afford?
-
- For me, I would not be satisfied with a lower end Mac (I have a cx), but
- the PowerBook 100 looks very attractive at its current discount price
- as a second machine. Many years ago Apple set out to make an "appliance"
- computer for "the rest of us". Selling their low end machines through
- discount stores FINALLY shows hope of fulfilling that promise by offering
- some real competition to low-end IBM clones.
-
-
- .............................................................................
- ....Boyd Ostroff / Technical Director / SUNY Oswego Department of Theatre....
- ...............Voice: (315) 341-2987 / Fax: (315) 341-3394..................
- ..............ostroff@oswego.oswego.edu / ostroff@cboard.UUCP................
-