Re: Apple Drops Backward Compatibility for Next MacOS

[shack@onyx.southwind.net (Randy Shackelford)]

pubpc1@library.ucla.edu wrote:

: >Yeah, Apple incurred the wrath of a couple dozen piss-and-moaners who hang
: >out there and bitch about it, while other people understand that a machine
: >based on an 8 bit processor dating from the '70s has little viability in
: >the '90s. Apple came out with other products to remain competitive.

: My God, man, the Apple II of the late 80's did NOT have an 8-bit processor.
: The Apple IIGS has a 16-bit processor.  There was no reason why it could
: not have evolved into a 32-bit computer, like Pentiums have evolved from
: the PC/XT!  The demand WAS there.  Apple chose to ignore it.

Hey Beavis, reread that paragraph. The 65816 is based on an 8 bit processor.
Pentiums are based on a 16 bit processor with a 20 bit address bus. Ever
wonder why any memory over 640K is considered extended memory? It's a throwback
to the days when PCs couldn't have any more. Have you ever seen a 32 bit
65816? It doesn't exist aside from some preliminary layouts.

Apple was smart to make a clean break with the PPCs and provide 68K support
via software emulation. They can keep getting better without having compati-
bility holding them back.

Just ask the Operation Apple Storm participants who met with Apple back in '92
if you want an idea of how Apple IIs were selling at the time. 

: When the GS came out, the Mac sucked.  It is better now, but what Mac are
: we talking about in '86?  The Mac Plus?  The GS was and is better than
: the Mac Plus.

Depends on what you call better I suppose. You can run TCP client apps,
current system software, and new apps still on a Plus you know.

: Gee, IBM compats are doing pretty well and they still run PC/XT software.
: They are doing better than Macs!

We're talking system software. Windows NT 4.0 doesn't run on less than a
386 but apps still run. That's how system 8 will work.

Marketing is the sole reason wintel sells more, it sure as hell isn't because
it's better.

: Well of course!  The Apple II has been absent for years.  If it remained
: all those years (Apple did not kill it), then John would be asking
: if it runs **Apple II/GS** software.  If he asks about Windows, well hey,
: AE would still be alive and the PC Pentium Transporter would be around!

Dream on. AE went out of business because it couldn't compete with its 
overpriced products. If you think that people would buy IIs with their under-
powered apps over MacOS or wintel, marketing notwithstanding, you need a 
reality check.

: Apple could have kept compatibility and gone up to date.

These at some point become mutually exclusive. System software support for 
68000, '020, and non 32 bit '030 Macs is being axed so that performance on
newer boxes can improve. Windows NT 4.5 will not run on 486s. That's the
nature of the beast.

: The GS was a great example.  Compatible with the II but better than the
: Mac of its day.

If you say so
--
Randy Shackelford
shack@southwind.net