Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site wateng.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!wateng!bjroehl From: bjroehl@wateng.UUCP (Bernie Roehl) Newsgroups: net.micro Subject: Re: Mac Review Message-ID: <724@wateng.UUCP> Date: Fri, 10-Feb-84 16:53:02 EST Article-I.D.: wateng.724 Posted: Fri Feb 10 16:53:02 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 11-Feb-84 08:19:56 EST References: <15932@sri-arpa.UUCP> Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario Lines: 36 Hmm. Well, the Mac seems like a reasonable enough machine, except for the following problems (some minor, some major): 128K total ram memory. Yes, I've heard the rumors about plugging in 256K chips to get 512K, but if you'll check out the motherboard you'll find the ram is soldered in. Unless you want to take to your brand-new Mac with a soldering iron, you'll have to get a motherboard swap from Apple (which may be expensive since it involves paying a tech to do the work; parts+labor = $$$$) monochrome display. A lot of people feel that color is not only useful, but necessary. Time will tell, but it's another aspect of the Mac hardware that's carved in stone (there's no provision for another display) 68000 processor. It's unquestionably superior to the 8088, but so far there's a dearth of software for it. If you run Unix and program in C, the underlying processor is almost unnoticeable in 80-90% of the applications; thus the advantages of the 68K vanish like the proverbial snows in summer. no bus. Hence, no third-party peripherals, except for the "serial bus" all the literature mentions. A serial bus cannot provide you with memory expansion or an alternate processor (i.e. put a 16032 in and use the 68K as an i/o handler). The bottom line is that it's nice, but probably too little to late. The IBM PC, for better or worse, will maintain its hold on the market for a while yet, and certainly won't be knocked out by the Mac. What you will see is a board that plugs into the PC and gives you a 68K, some RAM, and the ability to run Mac software; it's easy to build one, and the demand will be there. Comments on the above are welcome; flames to /dev/null, please. --Bernie Roehl (bjroehl@wateng) -- -Bernie Roehl (University of Waterloo)