Re: Commentary: I Hate to Leave Like This

[nraymond@genesis.nred.ma.us (NATHAN RAYMOND)]

So: going from IIGS to IBM?  I wanted to upgrade from //c to something
else, spent four years researching, and I think I came up with a pretty
good solution.  If anybody else is in the position of swiching platforms,
I would suggest that if you must buy a computer in the next four months,
make it a Mac.  Macintosh is currently the only platform which has any
sort of upgrade to the PowerPC.  Models to buy: Mac's using the
Centris/Quadra 610 case, IIvx/Quadra 650 case, and Quadra 800 case, or any
Mac with a 68040 Processor Direct Slot.  Preferably one of the computers
with one of the cases I mentioned, because you can upgrade the logic board
for <$1500 and get awsome performance (64-bit data bus, high Mhz system
bus, geoport serial port, AV functions available, etc.).  Don't buy and
IBM or compatible in the next four months.  What is PowerPC?  I'll be
brief (I don't have time at the moment to explain all, send e-mail if you
want more info).

PowerPC is the result of the Apple-IBM alliance.  It is based around IBM
RS/6000 workstation processor design, and will be the next type of
processor making up personal computers for many years to come: RISC.  RISC
stands for Reduced Instruction Set Computing, as contrasted with Complex
Instruction Set Computing, currently the type of processor used in the
Apple II Mostek 65xxx series, the Macintosh implemented Motorola 680x0
series, and the IBM and compatibles implemented Intel 80x86 series.  (Also
note: the original Nintendo used the 6502 (same as Apple II), the Sega Master
System used the Z-80, the Super Nintendo uses the 65816 (IIGS), the Sega
Genesis uses the 68000 (Mac), the NEC turboGraphix uses the 6820, the SNK
Neo Geo uses the 68000 (Mac), the Atari Lynx uses the 65C02 (Apple II),
the Nintendo Gameboy uses the 6502 (Apple II), the Sega Game Gear uses the
Z-80.  But now the 3D0 uses RISC chips, and the new Atari Jaguar uses RISC
chips as well: three of them.  Just thought you might like to know even
the game industry is keeping up with the CISC to RISC transition).  RISC
has many advantages, including being smaller, faster, more streamlined,
and cheaper chips, meaning the PowerPC 601 processor running at 66Mhz is
just as fast as the Pentium runnning at 66Mhz, but the PowerPC 601 costs
$400 right now, and the Pentium costs $800.  The Pentium design is
partially RISC (superscalar core design) surrounded by thousands of
transistors which make it backward compatible, increasing heat and cost. 
The PowerPC 601 isn't backward compatible on the transistor level with
anything other than IBMs RS/6000 workstations, so you say "Then it can't
run any of my software!"  Wrong.  Insignia Solutions, maker of the SoftPC
line of software emulators for the Mac, has a strategic alliance with
Microsoft, and their software emulators run IBM programs at 486DX/33
speeds on the cheapest and slowest of the Apple PowerPC computers, which
will be <$2000, including monitor, runnning at 60Mhz, in March '94.

Here's the deal:
IBM is producing the following personal computers based on the PowerPC
processor in the beginning of 1994:
standard desktop model, featuring 601 processor
a sleek notebook using the 603 processor (special low-power version of 601)
ergonomic 603-based desktop with a flat panel display
Features will include built-in CD-ROM drives, new PCI-bus architecture,
and Fast SCSI connectors.

Apple is releasing the following in March '94:
Code Name: PDM
 from $2000, 60-Mhz 601, Quadra 610 enclosure, '040 style PDS, 8/160 to
 8/230/CD option 
Code Name: Carl Sagan
 from $3000 (logic-board upgrades $1500), 66-Mhz 601, Quadra 650 enclosure,
 '040-style PDS, 3 NuBus slots, 8/230 to 8/500/CD and AV options
Code Name: Cold Fusion
 from $4000, 80-Mhz PowerPC 601, Quadra 800 enclosure, '040 style PDS, 3
 NuBus slots, 256-Kbyte Level 2 cache, 8/230 to 8/1000/CD ana AV options

The 604 processor will come out mid to late '94, and will be more than
twice as fast as the 601.  Apple is the only company commited to a case
design for its lineup which will continue through the 604, and it has also
agreed to adopt the PCI standard (in place of NuBus, ISA, EISA, LocalBus,
MicroChannel, or anything else - in fact, the entire industry has agreed
on PCI now).

What operating systems will the PowerPC line of computers run?
- both will run Windows NT (which will run DOS and Windows programs in
emulation)
- both will run UNIX (in various implementations)
- IBM's will run Workplace OS (based on Mach 3.0 kernel and capable of
running DOS-Windows, OS/2, Unix, and eveltually, Taligent "personalities")
- Apple's will be able to run Mac applications, CDEVs, INITs, etc.
seamlessly under System 7.0 at Quadra 700 speeds, all in emulation
- Apple's will be able to run DOS and Windows (including Windows 4.0)
applications in emulation with SoftPC at 486DX/33 and above speeds
- Pink, codename for the revolutionary completely
object-oriented
document-centric OS from Taligent, the group fused from Apple and IBM (to
be released in late '94, early '95)

Bottom line: if you buy an IBM or compatible now, you'll be making a big
mistake - have fun trying to upgrade one of those things!  Native PowerPC
applications will run between 3 and 5 times faster than the fastest Macs
and IBMs today.  If you need, a computer now, buy the right Mac and
upgrade.  Otherwise, wait.  What'd I do?  I went from my //c of 8 years
(paid $2400 then) to a IIvx 4/80, with 14" color monitor, all new, for
$900 at the Apple auction.  I plan to upgrade to an Apple PowerPC 604
based system in late '94 for about $1500.  (I might actually save money
this way).

Anyway, I don't like IBMs or compatibles: my experiences over the past
four years (VERY extensive) have been less then thrilling (I've had to
help more than one person out of a tough spot, and solving IBM and
compatible problems I found to be many times harder then Mac problems -
try installing several cards into an IBM on a network, a Mac on a network,
and see which one actually operates!).

Any questions?