Re: why did apple go mac?

[russotto@wanda.vf.pond.com (Matthew T. Russotto)]

In article <3A2C4CA1.F6453FD7@srv.net>, frankc  <frankc@srv.net> wrote:
}
}Yes, but in the past even Macs with expansion cards were still a closed
}machine.

Nope, NuBus was a standard (devised by TI, IIRC) like PCI.  A few of the
other odd slots were proprietary (as was the Apple II slot).

}You had to pay Apple for the "privilege" of producing a card for
}their platform.  This goes for the ADB bus as well.

Yes, this is true for ADB and it is obnoxious.  But not for the slots.

}You also had to buy an "Apple Approved" hard drive to go in the Mac
}as well. 

Never.  The original proprietary Apple hard drives (HD-20) were
external, and there were other companies which made both external and
internal drives (using a processor clip in some cases!).  The internal
Apple drives were SCSI, and standard (bar some Unit Attention games
which were the result of Apple implementing an older version of the
standard).  You could replace them with non-Apple drives.  Later Apple
made their drivers not work with non-Apple drives, but this didn't
make the system closed.

}Some of these were circumvented by software, but the proprietary
}slots and buses were not.  I understand now that the G4s can take PCI
}cards. 

The G4s have taken PCI cards from the beginning.  As have the G3s, and
the second generation of PowerMacs based on the 601 processor.

-- 
Matthew T. Russotto                                russotto@pond.com
"Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice, and moderation in pursuit
of justice is no virtue."