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

[nathan@visi.com (Nathan Mates)]

In article <5elp3q$r3k$1@scramble.lm.com>,
Matt Portune <mportune@telerama.lm.com> wrote:
>My workplace had some spare parts floating around, so I got a bigger
>hard drive and more RAM for the Performa.  Too bad I can't even open
>the system to install it.  I can't believe, because I don't have a
>torx screwdriver with a 20 foot neck, I can't get into this mac.

   Funny. 4 phillips screws are all that separate you from most
PCs. [Excepting a few Compaq Deskpros I've run across with annoying
star-shaped screws] I can field-strip my PCs at home or at work into
components in under 5 minutes, pop the motherboard and swap it. Or
install another HD or more RAM real fast. I like that in my computers.

   And now Apple's trying to run ads in the LA times claiming that
'multimedia is standard on macs while you have to install it on PCs'.
News to me. My PC came with a CD-ROM, nice fast video board with MPEG
decompression, sound card, etc. All built in and preinstalled.  And
flipping thru PC mags, unless you buy your own, 95% of all PCs
(excepting server class which don't *need* multimedia or the ancient
closeouts)

   With what you're saying, I guess Apple's policy on this sort of
stuff is "be happy with what we give you, unless you want to pay
our dealers more" for their 'consumer' (performa) grade machines.

   Guess Apple's too cash strapped to do anything other than recycle
ads from 3 years ago, even when they've moved towards being the
difficult-to-expand machines.

>Today's mac is obviously different, but I'm an 80's computer guy, darnit.  I 
>enjoy a good hardware hack.  That's how I LEARNED.  It's a darn shame people 
>won't have the same learning experience that the Apple II provided.

   Hunt around scrap heaps and put together a PC from components.
You *can* do that. Then install linux on it, where you get every
line of the OS in source code, and have total control over it.
PCs are where the experimenter, the tweaker, and the hacker can
still customize their system up the wazoo.

   The irony was that Apple's famous superbowl commercial tried to
emphasize people being able to break out of the straightlaced
uniformity.  And look at where they sold their system's souls to....

Nathan Mates

--
<*> Nathan Mates http://www.visi.com/~nathan/      <*>
# What are the facts? Again and again and again-- what are the _facts_?
# Shun wishful thinking, avoid opinion, care not what the neighbors
# think-- what are the facts, and to how many decimal places?  -R.A. Heinlein