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- Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware
- Path: sparky!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!emory!swrinde!news.dell.com!natinst.com!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!ames!agate!apple!mumbo.apple.com!times!sirius.aux.apple.com!coolidge
- From: coolidge@sirius.aux.apple.com (John L. Coolidge)
- Subject: Re: Farewell to the Mac? (not flame)
- Sender: news@times.aux.apple.com (News Subsystem)
- Message-ID: <1992Nov23.224915.23912@times.aux.apple.com>
- Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 22:49:15 GMT
- Reply-To: coolidge@apple.com
- References: <terjer-181192084445@majestix.ifi.unit.no> <1992Nov18.214939.3440@dartvax.dartmouth.edu> <1992Nov19.224857.11857@times.aux.apple.com> <1992Nov20.171856.13271@tamsun.tamu.edu>
- Organization: Open Systems Development, Porting&I/O Group, Apple Computer, Inc.,Summary:
- Lines: 55
-
- sfuller@tamsun.tamu.edu (Steve Fuller) writes:
- >I have a few questions that someone might be able to address:
- >In article <1992Nov19.224857.11857@times.aux.apple.com> coolidge@apple.com
- >writes:
- >>Yes and no. The PowerPC family _are_ Macs. The idea is that anything
- >>that runs on the current Mac line will run on the PowerPC Macintosh
- >>(at speeds similar to the current high-end Macintosh machines). In
- >>addition, native PowerPC applications will run much faster than
- >>anything in the current line.
-
- >Do you mean Apple's PowerPC machines or all PowerPC's? I would guess that
- >the PowerMacs would require an Apple ROM.
-
- You're right, of course. The PowerPC Macintosh line will undoubtedly
- require Apple ROMs (nothing official, just a guess based on the
- evidence).
-
- >Will I be able of buy a machine from IBM or perhaps a 'clone' vendor and
- >buy the OS from Apple? Would I need to purchase an Apple ROM?
-
- I doubt that Apple would get into the licensing business with Apple
- ROMs (at least widely), but I could be wrong. Every so often Apple
- does something that surprises everyone (including those who work here
- :-)).
-
- >>This is Just Plain Wrong (TM). There is no single thing which is "the
- >>system software for the PowerPC". There will be at least three
- >>operating systems for the PowerPC:
- >> 1) The Macintosh OS
- >> 2) PowerOpen (A/UX 4.0 aka Unix)
- >> 3) TaligentOS
- >>The first should be available when the first PowerPC Macintosh systems
- >>ship; the second at or around that point. The third is probably a
- >>couple years away according to public statements made by Taligent.
-
- >By 'The Macintosh OS' do you mean:
-
- >A. MacOS on top on A/UX?
- >B. The current System 7.0 translated into native PPC code?
- >C. The new microkernal OS?
- >D. All of the above? :-)
-
- Not A, that's item 2 on my list. I think, based on the reports and
- rumors, that 'The Macintosh OS' as applied the PowerPC Macintosh means
- B and C on your list.
-
- --John
-
- Thanks to the diligence of the FBI, this particular vacuum
- cleaner won't fall into enemy hands.
- -- Howard Hughes, _The_Rocketeer_
-
- +++John L. Coolidge++++++++++++++++coolidge@apple.com+++++++++++++++++++++++
- I speak for myself, not for Apple Computer. Copyright 1992 John L. Coolidge.
- Copying allowed only if attributed, and if all copies may be further copied.
-