🚀 go-pugleaf

In message <8400243@m.cs.uiuc.edu>, gillies@m.cs.uiuc.edu writes:
>Due to the recent problems with the mac portable and mac iici, it
>seems a little hasty to buy a macintosh when they are first announced.
>Especially now, Apple is under a lot of pressure to introduce new
>products and boost their sales.
>
>You may find half your software doesn't work, due to color quickdraw
>"In ROM", or your hard disk sticks, or your clock battery is soldered
>in, or your monitor display jiggles, or your ROM won't allow you to
>address >1Mb of Nubus memory, or your PMMU socket is not completely
>soldered to the board, or your HD floppy drive is excessively flakey.
>All these problems have already happened.  What will it be with the IIfx?
> 
>Now, are you sure you want to rush out and buy a IIfx?

The answer is if I had the money for a IIfx and the need for a IIfx (I
don't), I would order a IIfx.  What IIci problems?  I have a IIci and I
can count the number of applications that I would like to use and don't
work on 1 finger.

1) Even before color quickdraw, Apple told programmers not to assume the
screen would be 1 bit deep.  Those programs that didn't follow didn't
work with color.  It took a new version of the program, not a new
revision to the machine to fix this.

2) The hard drive problem was a problem with all Quantum ProDrives.  It
didn't affect just the models that were recently introduced and had
Quantum hard drives.  It affected all models with Quantum hard drives
evenly.

3) Concerning the Mac II ROM not being able to address >1mb Nubus and
PMMU sockets, Apple has given free motherboard swaps for people with
these machines.  I believe that is a reasonable policy.

If you have a need and the means, then the possibility that there might
be a bug in the ROM shouldn't stop you from buying one.  IMO, these
problems have been dealt with reasonably in the past (except the SE fan
deal.  It took $40 to get a SE Silencer.)  If you will end up paying the
same price for the machine then you are paying a high opportunity cost
for the entire time you are waiting for them to "get the bugs out".

My 2 cents

-Howard

Internet: hf07+@andrew.cmu.edu