Re: _Infinite Loop_ by Michael S. Malone

[ChemSleuth@earthlink.net (Dennis Doms)]

In article <374AA45A.4A09B17B@swbell.net>, Rubywand
<rubywand@swbell.net> wrote:

>     We got a machine hobbled by compromises to squeeze in old-II compatibility and
>no hard disk. "Support" included zilch documentation, a partially-finished
>GS-BASIC, a make-do OS, and nearly zero applications and utilities. Given the GS
>package which Apple delivered, it had darn well better have been backwards
>compatible. 

It is important to consider the state of the rest of the industry when
critiqueing Apple. The IIgs had no hard disk at introduction, but hard
disks were not considered standard on many computers at the time due
to the extreme cost (they were optional on Mac models; the base SE had
two 3.5 drives). It did have high-capacity disk drives, and
third-party hard drives were usable on it. Apple should have been
aggressive at providing a hard drive solution, though, and never was.

Apple provided developer tools but not user languages for their
products at this time.

The IIgs was not critically hobbled as introduced. The problem was the
lack of aggressive support for the user base after the introduction.
("Gee, we've got your money, what else do you want?")

>     Had the GS arrived as a pure 4MHz '816 machine with 256-color video and 20MB
>hard disk, hardly anyone would have missed old-II compatibility. Agreed, at first,
>the machine would probably not attract the 'average home buyer'. But, within a
>year, new games, productivity wares, and utilities would have attracted hordes of
>new users.

If integrated compatibility wasn't the issue, then the IIgs could have
been skipped for a Mac with an Apple II card (the eventual LC
solution). That wasn't very popular, either.

>     The one year delay was very costly. With the fancy new Atari and Amiga plus
>dropping prices on PC clones, there were many defections. 1985 was the year the II
>user base ceased to dominate home computing.

As  I recall, the IIgs was one of the hottest sellling computers Apple
released, at least early in its life. (Apple itself acknowledged this
at its developer conferences. At least, the first year or so.)

The II made plenty of money at this time. The problem was that II
(versus Mac) revenue was not reinvested proportionately to the product
line.

 --
Dennis Doms  ChemSleuth@earthlink.net  http://home.earthlink.net/~chemsleuth
"If Bill Clinton, Kenneth Starr, Linda Tripp, and Monica Lewinsky all worked
              on car lots, I would buy my car from Monica."
            -- Brian Clarke, "Letters", _Time_, April 5, 1999