Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site fortune.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!we13!ihnp4!fortune!crane From: crane@fortune.UUCP (John Crane) Newsgroups: net.micro Subject: MacIntosh and the Emporor's clothes Message-ID: <2415@fortune.UUCP> Date: Thu, 2-Feb-84 15:52:25 EST Article-I.D.: fortune.2415 Posted: Thu Feb 2 15:52:25 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 8-Feb-84 01:38:07 EST Organization: Fortune Systems, Redwood City, CA Lines: 41 You probably won't hear this from anybody else, so I think it's time somebody played the devil's advocate with respect to the MacIntosh. Before I do, I will say some good things about the Mac so you won't think I am totally negative. First it will probably save Apple from getting eaten alive by IBM. Second, Apple's stock should go back up. Third it does use a lot of novel ideas and makes them affordable. Fourth, they'll probably sell a lot of machines. But not to me. If I was in the market for a personal computer today and wanted only the current functionality available on the MacIntosh, I would sooner buy a Kaypro or a Chameleon and take the money I saved and buy a printer. I find Apple's marketing approach (though superbly timed and coordinated) to be insulting to my intelligence. "You don't have to memorize all those commands". So WHAT'S WRONG with memorizing stuff? Is it really that difficult to learn new things? Apple is taking the typical American marketing approach: create a need where it didn't exist before, then come up with a bunch of features to meet it. Tell everybody how stupid they are and how difficult it is to use computers. Make everything look really dark. Then, voila! spring the answer -- the mouse!! Really, you need a mouse with a word processor or spreadsheet like you need automatic transmission. It's a nice feature to have but you can learn to get along without it. My question is. Is the extra functionality worth the extra price? I'm afraid that this message won't get home to consumers amidst all the glamour and hoopla. Now for the finale. Last year the buzzword was integration. You couldn't possibly function in the office and keep your boss happy without integrated software. Where's the integration with the MacIntosh? Can we forget about integrated software now? The only Mac I get is going to have sesame seeds on top of it. John Crane