Apple Computer, What Are You Up To?

[Chad Choi Lin <chadlin@nyetcom.com>]

WARNING: This is a flame, although not directed at the newsgroup.


I know this is not quite on-topic, since it does not directly concern
the Apple II. However, I think many of us remember the "orphaning" of
the Apple II line with some disappointment and even hostility towards
Apple Computer, and it is in that vein that I compose this message.

I work with computers, and someone came to me just yesterday with a
computer problem: they recently purchased a new G3 system (you know, the
"iMac on steroids") and could not figure out how to hookup his old Mac
peripherals with it. He had both Mac serial and SCSI interface devices
that he used with his older Apple, and since they still worked fine he
wanted to be able to move them over to his newer Apple system so that he
could sell off his "outdated" Mac.

The problem is, the newest G3s resemble the iMac in more than just
appearance. They have no Mac serial ports for printers and external
modems, and only the top-of-the-line G3 model (or models? I may be
mistaken) has a SCSI host adapter included. Sure, it did have ADB ports,
but those will only connect a keyboard, mouse, and a game controller.
His only other option was the dual USB port, which meant he would have
to buy new equipment to go with the new interface. And he did not like
that idea at all. Eventually I discovered that both his Mac and G3 were
equipped with Ethernet adapters, so I recommended that he network his
two computers together (using a crossover cable, of course). Although it
was not what he had hoped for, he agreed it was the least expensive
solution.

Am I the only person who feels disgust and outrage towards the trouble
this user had to go through? He was expecting a smooth transition from
one generation of Macintosh to the next, and instead got ensnared by the
dreaded Connector Conspiracy -- with almost no support for the older
interfaces, the G3 essentially forces its users to invest additional
money in new peripherals or expensive adapters for their existing
devices. For crying out loud, the G3 lacks even a floppy drive (again
the disturbing similarity to the iMac)! Had this user sold off his old
Mac already, he would have no way to use his printer, his modem (the G3
has no internal modem -- d'oh!) or his high-performance SCSI equipment,
and he could not even port over his files from the old Mac to his G3
*or* make backups of whatever data is on the G3! And the going price for
a USB interface adapter starts around $60 -- can you say "sticker
shock"?

Now, I am not disputing the merits of the new USB system -- it offers
speeds of up to 10 Mbps and massive extensibility (127 devices maximum
on USB, versus 7 to 14 on SCSI). For the PC user, it makes an attractive
alternative to doubling up on serial and parallel ports (for example,
get a USB optical scanner and you do not have to worry about conflicts
with your parallel printer). However, with PCs the USB port is always
provided *in addition* to the older, conventional interfaces. Get a PC
equipped with USB, and you can still count on getting two standard
serial ports, a parallel printer port, and a game port. That is what
"backward compatibility" is all about: when you come up with a new
standard, you should provide some support for the older standards. With
the advent of the iMac and the latest G3s, however, Apple Computer has
apparently adopted a policy of "backward combatibility" which causes
existing users of previous Macintoshes grief and irritation when they
try to plug older peripherals into their newer systems.

I once saw an Apple rep at the unveiling of the iMac at a local computer
retailer. He tried to reassure current Mac users that the iMac would be
a good upgrade from their current systems, but several customers were
visibly skeptical. One Mac user got increasingly annoyed as he heard the
various features the iMac did *not* include -- standard Mac serial
ports, a SCSI host adapter, and a floppy drive. The rep's answers to his
concerns were to get USB-to-serial adapters (expensive), replace his
existing peripherals with USB versions (more expensive), or keep his old
Mac and network it with the iMac's built-in Ethernet adapter (which
would not work unless he bought a corresponding adapter for his current
Mac). As the disgruntled Mac user walked away he passed by me, and I
heard him mutter angrily, "F***ing idiot." I knew the anger he was
feeling; I remembered it from the time I read in the news that Apple had
given up on the Apple II in favor of the Mac. It was the feeling that I
had been betrayed.

That is what Apple Computer's "Think different" campaign is
accomplishing. The comparison with the abandonment of the Apple II line
is eerie: Apple introduces a new system (Macintosh/iMac and the new G3)
that has little to no compatibility with the previous generation of
technology (Apple II/Macintosh), then eventually drops support for
legacy systems altogether. Considering that Steve Jobs, the
self-proclaimed father of the original Macintosh, is back at the helm of
Apple Computer (as far as I know), can we be witnessing a repeat of
history? Is Apple willing to create a group of alienated Mac users to
join the disgruntled Apple II users of the world, people whose favorite
computers are officially deemed unworthy of support?

All we can do, of course, is watch what happens....


Peace, Love, and It's Deja Vu All Over Again,
Chad Choi Lin
chadlin@nyetcom.com

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