Re: A Tale of Two Apples

[shack@io.frii.com (Randy Shackelford)]

In article <199710260853222427833@slip129-37-106-126.wa.us.ibm.net>,
B.J. Major <bjblackbear@ibm.net> wrote:

>>     Is it possible for you not to be so offended by comments about the
>> Macintosh? It is a machine, not a person. What I said is a truth about
>> the PC in respect to the Macintosh. The Macintosh is limited in what
>> can be added to it as it is a proprietary system. The PC is not, and
>> uses generic parts. For example, if the SuperDrive in a Macintosh fails
>> and needs to be replaced you _must_ purchase the replacement part from
>> Apple Computer. On the PC, I could purchase several types of 1.44 MB
>> drives from an uncountable number of vendors and distributors. 
>
>To which I say "so what?"  Anyway, my point was that you don't want
>people ragging on the IIgs; by the same token, I don't see why the Mac
>has to be ragged on.

You can find resellers who offer refurbs for as little as $45. It was nearly
two years ago when I got a never used replacement for $75. None of these
are from Apple.

You also need to keep in mind that Apple floppies are far more complex
than PC drives. While drives for PCs are a pretty unintelligent device,
(it can't tell when you put in a disk and can't eject it, and only reads
two formats), Apple drives have a sensor to detect disk insertion, a motor
to eject the disk, and they read four different formats. Not a very generic
part.

>> I will repeat it
>> again, what it ships with is _not_ what it is stuck with. Also keep

While companies aren't making as many nubus cards as they used to, they're
still out there. So saying that you're stuck with what comes with your Mac
just isn't so. Even more so if you have a new fangled Mac with PCI slots.

>> in mind unlike an Apple Macintosh, many people out there (myself for
>> example) don't buy pre-assembled computers. We buy the separate parts
>> and put in what we choose. That is a nice thing about not owning a
>> proprietary system.

>It also leads to lots of problems, of which I have first hand
>experience.  Not all no-name parts will work with each other or with the
>motherboard.  There is a generic PC in our office that will not use its
>sound card, for instance.  Both the machine and the card have been
>checked and there is nothing wrong with either.  Nonetheless, the
>computer never makes a sound or uses the card in any way.  No technician
>can explain what's wrong.  And this is not the only example of why a
>machine made up of generic parts is not the best idea in the world.

Yep that's a sure fire way to get headaches. A guy at work has a PC built
from parts and has never gotten a modem to work in it. I told him how I
installed the modem on my Quadra. Hard to muff plugging in one cable. And
did I mention that getting PPP to work on it is a no brainer too? I tried
to figure out Winsock on a PC once and even had a PC savvy person try and
he ended up giving up. But that's to be expected when you use equipment
with Apple quality rather than something that looks like Wile E. Coyote
put it together.

It's worth mentioning that I've build some Macs from parts. I built an SE/30
using recycled SE parts and am about to build a IIfx using some IIx parts.
But since they're all Apple parts, no one will be able to tell that I built
it myself.

>> means rare. On the other hand, when I wanted to find a SuperDrive mech
>> for my Apple IIgs, it took me about 3 months of searching and I had to
>> pay a high price just to get one used. 
>
>Well, you just made *my* point.  Unless you shop used, catalog or the
>web, you won't find a PC 5.25 in any modern computer store.  And
>comparing finding the SuperDrive for a IIgs is hardly a worthy
>comparison.  Unlike the PC 5.25, there were very few made, judging by
>the posts I've read on this group by others.

Superdrives are nothing resembling rare, just gotta look in the right places.
Keep in mind that every Mac made from '88 to '93 has at least one Sony 
superdrive mech in it. Externals are a little hard to find considering they 
were never big sellers. Converting an 800K external is an easy thing to do 
though.

I frequent used computer stores and have found some astounding deals. Nitwits
who run them evidently think all Apple stuff is junk. Also they give you
attitude when you say you want to see Apple stuff. But nonetheless I've
scored big at times. Like a working 13" Apple Trinitron monitor for $5, stacks
of 800K mechs for $1 a pop, and several flavors of Mac power supplies for the
same $1 each.
--
Randy Shackelford                                 
shack@frii.com