Re: Wozniak vs Jobs

[spec@vax2.concordia.ca (Mitchell Spector)]

In article supertimer@aol.com (Supertimer) writes...

>The Apple II users NEVER had a period of transition.  See the
>problem?  Basically, if the original Mac could run A2 software
>and use A2 hardware, Apple would be a lot better.  The ARM
>based A2 prototype says that this WAS possible, but Steve
>Jobs wanted no part of it...

    Apple II users actually did have a transitional phase, or
at least the start of one; That of course was the Apple IIgs.
Owners of the Apple II, II+, IIe and even IIc could upgrade
to the new machine, while preserving their entire software
collection and a fair bit of their hardware as well (through
its built-in slots and ports). The GS gave you a near state-
of-the-art computer during that time period without having
to sacrifice _anything_ as an Apple II user.

    It was BACKWARDS COMPATIBILITY that attracted me to the
IIgs, even more than its fancy new features. I wanted to put
one foot forward, while at the same time, keep one foot
backwards. Over the years I slowly began migrating from 8-bit
to 16-bit software--and it was great, I lost nothing and gained
everything! The problem was the transitional phase never led
anywhere. It was a promising road built by Apple that never
saw construction completed, you'd follow it only to find
yourself at a dead-end.

    That is what pisses me off about Apple, and if they
planned this all along, maybe they should have never come
out with the Apple IIgs in the first place (the other II's
never evolved, the GS was the first and only II to do new
things). It's the fact that they lead us down a road to
nowhere. If the Apple II were a ship voyage, it'd be like
promising to take the passengers across the ocean (which
is what they'd paid for) then stopping the ship and sinking
it half way. At which point telling the passengers "too bad
if you can't swim". The majority took salvation aboard
another passing ship rather than swim all the way back and
take another "voyage" with HMS Apple again. ;-)

Mitchell Spector
spec@vax2.concordia.ca