Re: Apple 2 Where/How much

[spec@vax2.concordia.ca (Mitchell Spector)]

In article supertimer@aol.com (Supertimer) writes...

>I wouldnt say the 8088 was worth over $300, but I
>would say this particular 8088 SETUP was worth
>over $300.  You claimed you could think of no Apple II
>SETUP that was worth more than $300 and then you
>yourself provided one by listing your own peripherals
>(superdrive+superdrive card+zipgs15/64).

    Use common sense here, when I use the word "setup" I mean
a typical bunch of add-ons an Apple IIgs might include. Since
when are 17" monitors, laser printers, Gigabyte hardisks and
V.90 modems typical things?

    Furthermore, WHO is going to invest that much money and
then turn around and give up on the Apple IIgs so suddenly?
I would say only extremely die-hard users would invest in
such overkill items, and if by chance they DID decide out
of the blue to go the PC or Mac route, don't you think they
would keep those add-on items for their new platform rather
than sell them with the IIgs?

>But I think sticking in an 8088 is not a fair comparison.
>The 8088 could not do the things a loaded IIGS can.
>Try running GeoWorks on it (a GUI that, when run
>on an 8088, is really lame compared to what GS/OS could
>do with a standard IIGS).  What software for the 8088
>can make good use of an ink jet or laser printer?  I'm
>thinking of something at least as usable as AWGS
>with Harmonie.

    No one cares whether an Apple IIgs is technically better
than an 8088, all that matters is both are obsolite in today's
marketplace. The marketplace does not judge old computers by
which is better, they are compared against current technology.
Sad as it may be, "obsolite" means anything that cannot run
Windows 95/98 (or MacOS 8.x), has no PCI support and is under
233 MHz generally.

    Still, for the sake of your arguement, let's replace the
8088 with an almost equal worthless--in terms of monetary
market value---386DX-25. Now you have something that is also
obsolite, but it even runs Windows 95 (for the fun of it I
installed Win95 on mine and it ran better than I thought it
would, it is actually "usable"). So, is a 386 which is much
more powerful than the IIgs speed-wise, worth several hundred
dollars, or is it the accessories you've thrown in that are?

>But look, you are trying to drag me into an argument
>again and I don't want to do that.  I'm just saying that
>there ARE IIGS SETUPS that are worth more than
>$300, contrary to what you said.

    Sure, whatever. So your telling me an Apple IIgs is worth
MORE than a state-of-the-art Celeron 300a system (easily over
clockable to 450 MHz--pretty much the fastest PC available to
the general public today) with 64 MB (100 MHz) SDRAM, installed
in a mid tower ATX case. You can buy that kind of a PC "setup"
for US$400 in case your wondering.

    How on earth can you justify selling a 12 year old computer
for the same amount or more? (bundling it with MODERN add-ons
which probably less than 5% of Apple IIgs's worldwide have is
not a valid arguement).

    How many times do I have to repeat it? A computer's monetary
worth DOES NOT EQUAL its usefulness and value to a user. I think
you just feel monetary worth is some rating system for computers.
Dollars are not gold stars. I think most people understand this
and agree with me so it is pointless debating (this seems to be
the case with all our arguements, your the *only* one who thinks
I'm in error or has a warped view on these issues. I think these
arguements are more entertaining to most people than holding any 
merit, we're just putting on a show).

Mitchell Spector
spec@vax2.concordia.ca