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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)