Re: hardware needed for contractors

["Doug, Data Librarian at Ext 4225" <engstromdd -at- PHIBRED -dot- COM>]

Arlen writes, regarding the PowerMac:

***************
...It runs everything a 286-based PC will run, at speeds approaching that of a
486SX. This software is supposed to be updated by the end of the year to do a
full-scale 486 emulation, with no speed loss.
***************

Although the Mac compatibility you describe is impressive (far better than I
would have expected) "speeds approaching that of a 486SX" isn't all that fast,
especially given the price of the machine.  As for new software at the end of
the year; well, how long has it been now since Microsoft promised us a
WinBasic-like macro language in MacWord?  And for how many years was System 7.0
going to be available "before the end of the year?"

My point being, I'm still skeptical about this idea that the PowerPC/PowerMac
computers will allow effortless switching between apps with different native
environments; I've got to believe they're going to compromise one environment
or the other for a long time to come.

*****************
OS/2 sales continue to grow. I know of no corporate environment which has
dropped it, once they've come up on it.
*****************

We did.  Pioneer just completed a technical architecture study, and selected
Windows-based PC's as the desktop computing platform of choice, except for users
with  applications that can't be done in that environment (mostly some
proprietary software in our research area written for Macs).

Our developers had some exposure to OS/2 through various application-development
tools, but it lost out in the final analysis.

********************
....the Apple Lasers are also simple, solid and sometimes cheaper
than HP.
*********************

Good point. I should have mentioned Apple printers, and probably would have if
I hadn't made a PC-based recommendation.

Doug
ENGSTROMDD -at- phibred -dot- com