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- From: bskendig@netcom.com (Brian Kendig)
- Subject: Re: MAC IIvx and Performa 600
- Message-ID: <1993Jan5.021932.6741@netcom.com>
- Organization: Starfleet Headquarters: San Francisco
- References: <1993Jan05.004013.19718@kronos.com>
- Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 02:19:32 GMT
- Lines: 66
-
- ed@kronos.com (Ed Baker) writes:
- >According to performance tests I recently saw, the IIvx is much faster
- >than the Performa 600. Yet, the hardware description of the two machines
- >is identical except for the IIvx has some cache memory. Does this account
- >for the performance differences, or are there other factors?
-
- You're half-right: the IIvx has 32k of processor cache and a math
- coprocessor; the P600 doesn't. Both contribute considerably to the
- IIvx's speed. You can add these two things to the P600, but that
- would just give you the same machine as a IIvx for a higher cost.
-
- >I also seem to be reading a lot of negative things about the IIvx; it won't
- >run AUX, it only outputs one channel digitized stereo, etc. I am ready to
- >buy my first Mac and am having trouble sorting everything out. At first
- >the Performa 600 sounded great. Then after some research, I decided I
- >could spend a little more and get the IIvx instead. I will only be using
- >the system at home to run household finances and games. I have three young
- >children who will also be running games. I don't need AUX or digitized
- >stereo. Is the IIvx just fine for me? Also, is 80MB hard disk enough?
-
- My IIvx is just right for me: not too fast, not too slow. Admittedly,
- some graphics-intensive games like Hellcats get a slight bit choppy
- when there's a lot happening on the screen at once, but in all other
- regards it has absolutely no problem keeping up with my fast pace, and
- I use it hard (for games, telecommunications, and software
- development). If you want to do a lot of fractals or 3D
- modelling/rendering or other really heavy graphics stuff, you'd do
- better with a Quadra, but for family use, this machine is perfect.
-
- The lack of digitized stereo really isn't important; SoundTracker is
- the only program I've seen that takes advantage of it, and I can live
- with mono SoundTracker. And A/UX 3.0 won't run on _any_ machine with
- System 7.1; since the IIvx requires 7.1, that's the problem. 3.0.1 is
- in the works to add System 7.1 support.
-
- Go for the IIvx. Get the model with the CD-ROM, because there are a
- lot of educational games and useful publications available on CD-ROM
- that your kids will use a lot in school as they grow up. This model
- comes with 5Mb RAM; possibly you might want to buy four 1Mb SIMMs to
- bring it up to 8Mb RAM for about $150 (wait and see if you need it).
- This model also has enough video memory for 16-bit color (which is
- really nice) on the new Apple 14-inch monitor (which I really recommend).
-
- An 80-meg hard drive should also be okay, but that's considered
- moderately small these days. Get AutoDoubler; that's a very simple
- way to squeeze 120 megs or more out of the drive.
-
- >I'm buying this thing this week, so let me know if I'm buying the wrong
- >machine. Waiting for future machines is not an option; I have to buy one
- >that is currently available.
-
- It's a very nice machine. Another alternative would be to go for a
- IIci, which offers comparable power and a different set of features at
- a lower price. Above those you have a Quadra 700 which would be
- overkill for your needs, and below those you have a IIsi which I
- wouldn't recommend to anyone right now. New machines are coming out
- in mid-February, but you probably wouldn't be interested in them.
- Either the IIvx 5/80/CD or the IIci 5/80 will give you a solid machine
- that you can easily expand as time goes on.
-
- --
- _/_/_/ Brian Kendig Je ne suis fait comme aucun
- /_/_/ bskendig@netcom.com de ceux que j'ai vus; j'ose croire
- _/_/ n'etre fait comme aucun de ceux qui existent.
- / Nolite te bastardes Si je ne vaux pas mieux, au moins je suis autre.
- / carborundorum. -- Rousseau
-