Re: Why the Apple II was on the right track...

[Ruel@ix.netcom.com]

rubywand@swbell.net wrote:
>      There is, today, no good choice for a Home Computer.
> 
>      PC is difficult for most users to configure correctly. The OS is a
> kludge gradually fighting its way up to IIgs standards. Writing programs
> which come remotely close to implementing machine Sound and graphics
> capabilities is something most PC users never even attempt.
> 
>      Mac, on the other hand, offers a decent 'native' OS. Writing
> interesting, useful programs, however, is no easier than it is on the PC.
> Mac's biggest weakness is that, in 'Mac mode', it is non-standard. Mac
> stuff is of no interest to the vast majority of computer users.
> 
>      Mac is grossly over-priced. This is easily demonstrated by user
> numbers. Small user numbers = small influence. Vendors of software and
> hardware aim to score in the PC market first. As Mac's 'piece of the pie'
> continues to shrink, Mac will become less and less relevant to mainstream
> computing.
> 
>      To say that Apple, Inc. was "on the right track" with Apple II is to
> overlook the history of the '80's. Yes; Apple had a user-friendly
> computer which allows many users to write programs which access machine
> capabilities. But; Apple II's strengths were not part of any corporate
> idea or vision. It was the users who had the vision, not the company.
> There was no "track".
> 
>      If Apple, Inc. is unable to disengage from manufacturing, the
> company will be forced to produce a machine which succeeds in winning
> back a sizable chunk of the home market. Fancy PC semi-clones, Power
> Books, etc. won't get the job done. Comperable-power true PC's at half
> the price will always win such battles.
> 
>      An excellent example of Apple bungling is the new, compact
> 'educational Mac'. It sounds like a nice "student computer"; but, it is
> priced around $700.


Apple needs to take some hints from GS/OS in it's MacOS.  The GS was
easier to use than my Mac.

As far as price, what did you pay for our II new?  Too much by today's
standards.  I paid $2800 for my ROM 3, monitor, 3.5 and 5.25 dries and
an Imagewriter II.  I paid more for my PowerTower Pro 200e, but the
advancement in the hardware is remarkable and my GS was bought 8 years
ago to the month I got my PowerTower Pro and that GS would cost roughly
$5000 in todays dollars.  Besides I also have a 4 gig drive, zip drive,
jaz drive, and an IMS Twin Turbo 128 graphics accelerator with 8 megs of
VRAM, 128 megs of memory, etc., etc.  I just wish it ran GS/OS and had
all the graphics capabilties of the Mac.  Apple II's were so much more
fun...