🚀 go-pugleaf

I've sat back and watched a lot of these flame wars on Computer A vs.
Computer B and now I think I'll add my $0.02 worth in the IBM vs. Mac
war.  Let me preface this by saying that I use both and I think they've
both got their good and bad points.

I've used all sorts of computers - my first basic course in high school
started out on teletype machines and we thought it was a major technological
innovation when we got a TRS-80 Model I.  We could actually edit lines of
our programs and save them on audio tape instead of paper tape!  I
remember when the Mac first came out, someone down the hall from me got
one and everbody was fascinated by it.  I though it was a nice idea but
it had a long way to go to catch up to PC's.  It didn't have any hard disk
options, no letter quality printers, a tiny screen, no math co-processor,
no expansion slots, etc.  Well, now I think that the Mac has not only
caught up to the PC but surpassed it in functionality.  I say functionality
because its true that a PC system could easily beat Mac on factors like price
and raw processing power, but I don't think thats a good way to judge
a computer.

Its true that you could probably do just about anything on a PC that
you could do on a Mac, but things just seem to work better on a Mac
and I think thats why a lot of people like Macs.  After using a color
Mac II, DOS and windows on a PC seems like a gigantic hack.  Mac users
don't mess around with Config or Autoexec files, everythings done
through the chooser and control panel.  You want to add memory to a
Mac? Just order some SIMMS mail order and pop them in.  Current prices
are as low as $79/Mb.  Mac users don't have to worry about all this
expanded/extended/640K/LIM4.0/EMM.SYS driver crap. Its pretty common
around here to have 5Mb or more in a Mac, and virtual memory is
already a reality.  All Macs come with networking built in.  Its
certainly not high performance but it gets the job done - and
everybody has it.  Sure you could configure a DOS system that could
run rings around a Mac and you can install a network that can blow
appletalk away, but overall I think Mac users are getting more out of
their Macs than DOS users are getting from their PC's.

I think the biggest problem in the PC world has been compatibility -
PC makers have made too big a deal out of it.  So IBM is now selling
OS/2 that finally takes advantage of the features of the 80286 - just
when did they start selling AT's - 1984?  The 80486 is already here.
DOS is just being pushed beyond its limits.  There comes a time when
you just have to make a break with the past.  Where would the Mac be
today if Apple only shipped system updates that could still run on the
128K Mac?  If your computer fills a need for you today then it can
still fulfill the same need 10 or 20 years from now.  Its like driving
an old car - it may not get you there in style but it gets you there.
Instead of waiting so long and going overboard with OS/2, why didn't
IBM come out with a new OS when the AT came out?  Forget Presentation
Manager, virtual memory, multitasking, etc.  Just a simple operating
system that could run in protected mode, access 8Mb of memory (or
whatever the 286 lets you have), with an improved file system would be
a big step ahead of DOS.  I don't know, maybe that wouldn't be so
simple to create, but I think it seems ridiculous to be running a
33Mhz 80386 in 8086 real mode.  I think there's just too much
un-tapped potential in the PC world.

Apple set an excellent example of what Mac programs could and should be
by bundling Macpaint and Macwrite with the original Macs.  What kind of
example did IBM set? Displaywrite? Edlin?  The original PCs came with fancy
keyboards with lots of function keys but does DOS even use most of these
keys? (I know about DOS4, CED, etc. - I'm just talking DOS 1.x, 2.x,3.x) No.
The original display adapters could display text in multiple attributes.
Does DOS even come with a command to set the prompt color? Oh sure, you
could install ANSI.SYS and put escape codes in your prompt.  But why
can't you just type prompt=red, screen=blue, etc.?  DOS could at least
print the error messages in bold text.  What you've basically got is
an operating system that could run from a teletype hooked up to the serial
port.  That seems to be the intention of the CTTY command.  It was 
probably all a marketing idea "Our customers have a large investment in
teletype equipment so we should make our new computers compatible with
this existing base of equipment."  Why didn't they just call it the
IBM-IKS (Intelligent Keypunch Station)?  I can imagine the advertisements -
"Now you can turn any teletype device into an intelligent keypunch station 
with the new IBM-IKS!"  Edlin seems perfect for operators entering data
into disk files instead of onto punch cards.  Why couldn't IBM at least
have added a screen editor to their original PC-DOS? Did they plan on 
selling systems without display adapters?  I think its this "we can't make
a break with the past" attitude thats held the PC world back.  Clone makers
want to make a new bus standard, just slap on more address lines.  Gee, I
can keep my $99 half-card internal 1200 baud modem when I upgrade to a new
$7000 486 EISA system.  If people want to keep using their old cards why
can't they just keep using their old computers.  Why does OS/2 have to be
able to run DOS programs?  I don't see why you couldn't just boot your
computer with DOS if you want to run DOS programs and boot it with OS/2 if
you want to run OS/2 programs.  I think DOS is just trying to be too
many things to too many people.  If IBM had only taken a little more initiative
with the PC and had a little more foresight instead of just introducing
slightly improved versions of the same old crap, then I don't think the
Macintosh would have become as successful as it has.  I don't see why
apple doesn't just port its  Mac OS to the 80386!  I  just think its time
DOS was given a decent burial.

Well this turned out longer than I thought and I've probably only
succeeded in adding more fuel to the fire, so flame away.  I'm not
really anti-PC, just pro Mac.


John Kellow
kellow@ndcheg.cheg.nd.edu