Re: Reply from Woz

[Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>]

Flag4 writes ...
> 
 ....

> The "hacker" spirit which was responsible for the success of the original
> Apple 1 and ] [, has long been shunned by Corporate Apple, almost from the 
> beginning.
>

     Pretty much-- at least, once the company was established, it sluffed-off
significant improvements to its II series and started looking for ways to sell
business machines and become a 'respectable Real Computer maker'.

     Apple badly underestimated the importance of the home user market in terms
of revenues, industry dominance, and as the driving force for technological
innovation.


>         Maybe us "vintage freaks" can only dream of an Apple II-k, (my idea
> for the name of the new machine !), but it is nice to know that Woz agrees
> with us.  Hopefully with a perpetuation of discussions like this . . may
> lead to a ground-swell of support . . which may lead to . . who knows?

     Hard to say. There are a number of paths to knocking out current hardware
barriers-- one is a 'Super IIgs' (or "II-k") expansion board with new Slots
which could be housed in (and powered by) a PC mid-tower case at low cost. It
would probably start out fairly 'bare bones'-- mainly lots of RAM, a faster
processor, and a way to get better video.




Rubywand