Re: Apple Drops Backward Compatibility for Next MacOS

[dalloff@freenet.columbus.oh.us (Dave Althoff)]

Robert Fisher (rfisher@zilker.net) wrote:

: I -still- think Apple should release a palmtop Apple ][. Wouldn't it be
: fabulous to play Crisis Mountain and do a little 6502 asm hacking on a
: thing that looked vaguely like a Sega GameGear?

I've been saying something like that for ages now.  My wish is for a
laptop ][, probably a Mega-II based ][e, with battery power, 128k RAM or
better (though most programs don't know what to do with additional
memory), on-board 3.5" disk drive...a built-in SCSI HD would also be nice.
And a full-screen display (560x192) is an absolute necessity.

That's what I have said for a long time.  Now I own a Psion 3a, and I
realize that a PALMtop version of my hypothetical portable ][ would be
even better.  Why am I carrying around an 8086-based palmtop when a
6502-based or even 65816-based machine could be done?  Of course, the
advantage would be a machine that can run all of my A][ apps from my shirt
pocket.  Put a SmartPort on it (with some kind of compact connector, of
course) so that it can have offline storage; and put a meg or so of
RAMdisk RAM in it to make it really useful.  

The thing is, those of us who use computers a lot have come to realize
that there does not exist a perfect computer.  I use my IIgs for word
processing, limited desktop publishing, programming, email, LYNX access to
the World Wide Web, stuff like that.  Things that the IIgs does really well.

But if I want to do heavy-duty desktop publishing, I locate a Macintosh. 
In fact, given a choice, I'd use a Mac for almost all of my non-GS
computing, simply because the Mac provides file compatibility with MS-DOS
and ProDOS.  And if I want to surf the net, I walk down the hall from my
office and use a Sun SPARCstation 5 which is a far better Internet box
than either the PC or the Mac.  But when I want to write a manual or memo,
handle my departmental budget, or manage my student-staff roster, there is
a IIgs sitting on my desk.  And with a couple more parts, the IIgs will
make a darned good teleprompter.  And when I visit an amusement park
and want to take PPH timings and notes for my friends on
rec.roller-coaster, the Psion is the only computer I have that I can
stick in my pocket.  Different computers have different uses. 
They're just like any other tool...you are always best off if you pick the
right tool for the job.  For the jobs I have to do, the Apple ][ works
pretty well.

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