Re: Apple's next move (was Apple II just won't die.)

[sheldon@netcom.com (Sheldon Simms)]

In article <473905724wnr@klatch.demon.co.uk> John@klatch.demon.co.uk writes:
>Tom Zuchowski <71214.1670@CompuServe.COM> writes:
>
>If you can buy an Amiga off the shelf and run Amiga, Mac
>and PC software on it just buy loading a different OS, then it has got
>to sell. Why can't it be done for the Apple II?

For one thing, because this won't happen. At least it won't happen
in the way what you have written sounds. What will happen is native
PowerPC software written with this machine in mind will be great.
This will include Mac "System 8" and probably something from IBM
(whether OS/2 or UNIX I don't know). Everything else will be software
emulation. Even if there was a IIgs emulator, it wouldn't be an
Apple II. It would be a PowerMac that happened to be able to run
some (not all) IIgs software on an emulator.

>We already have the 
>Mega-II chip for pre-GS support so I'm sure they could throw in the 
>SWIM and VGC chips to make a decent machine that only has to emulate
>the processor.  If it can be done for the Amiga with all it's graphics
>capabilities, it can be done for anything.

These chips are not going to be on the CHRP machine except maybe the
SWIM (well SWIM functionality). If anyone wants to be able to do
Amiga stuff on the CHRP machine, it seems to me that unless the
package includes a card with some Amiga support hardware that
they'd be better off getting a real Amiga.

>The best thing about this would be that it could do all that the GS
>does today, and could do that much more as well (better graphics
>modes, more RAM etc).
>If this sort of machine was announced, I'd put my money on it today.

Any old PowerMac or Pentium can do what you're talking about, it seems
to me. The only thing that is keeping you from jumping to Pentium is
the lack of an available IIgs emulator then? If, in fact, that is what
you're saying then God help the Apple II user community when (not if)
a IIgs emulator appears on a PC.

-Sheldon