
     ORIGINAL APPLE
  The original Apple computer was invented by Steve Wozniak, who 
was an engineer at Hewlett-Packard. In 1975, he offered the plans 
to his boss at Hewlett-Packard, but his boss said Steve's 
computer didn't fit into Hewlett-Packard's marketing plan. His 
boss suggested that Steve start his own company. Steve did.
  He worked with his friend, Steve Jobs. Steve Wozniak was the 
engineer; Steve Jobs was the businessman. Both were young: Steve 
Wozniak was 22; Steve Jobs was 19. Both were college drop-outs. 
They'd worked together before: when high-school students, they'd 
built and sold blue boxes (boxes that people attached to 
telephones to illegally make long-distance calls free). Steve & 
Steve had sold 200 blue boxes at $80 each, giving them a total of 
$16,000 in illegal money.
  To begin Apple Computer Company, Steve & Steve invested just 
$1300, which they got by selling a used Volkswagen Micro Bus and 
a used calculator.
  They built the first Apple computer in their garage. They sold 
it by word of mouth, then later by ads. The advertised price was 
just $666.60.

                     APPLE 2
                             The original Apple computer looked 
pathetic. But in 1977, Steve & Steve invented a slicker version, 
called the Apple 2. Unlike the original Apple, the Apple 2 
included a keyboard and displayed graphics in color. It cost 
$970.
                             The Apple 2 became a smashing 
success, because it was the first computer for under $1000 that 
could display colors on a TV. It was the only such computer for 
many years, until Commodore finally invented the Vic, which was 
even cheaper (under $300).
                             At first, people used the Apple 2 to 
play games and didn't take the computer seriously. But two 
surprise events changed the world's feelings about Apple.

                                                 MECC
                             The first surprise was that the 
Minnesota state government decided to buy lots of Apple 2 
computers, put them in Minnesota schools, and write programs for 
them. That state agency, called the Minnesota Educational 
Computing Consortium (MECC), then distributed the programs free 
to other schools across America.
                             Soon, schools across America 
discovered that personal computers could be useful in education, 
and that the only programs available came from Minnesota and 
required Apples. So schools across America bought Apples ___ and 
then wrote more programs for the Apples they'd bought. Apple 
became the ``standard'' computer for education ___ just because 
of the chain reaction that started with a chance event in 
Minnesota. The chain reaction spread rapidly, as teachers fell in 
love with the Apple's color graphics.

                                               Visicalc
                             The next surprise was that a 
graduate student at the Harvard Business School and his friend at 
M.I.T. got together and wrote an amazing accounting program 
called Visicalc. They wrote it for the Apple 2 computer, because 
it was the only low-cost computer that had a reliable disk 
operating system.
                             (Commodore's computers didn't have 
disks yet, and Radio Shack's disk operating system was buggy 
until the following year. Apple's success was due to Steve 
Wozniak's brilliance: he invented a disk-controller card that was 
amazingly cheap and reliable.)
                             The Visicalc accounting program was 
so wonderful that accountants and business managers all over the 
country bought it ___ and therefore had to buy Apple computers to 
run it on.
                             Visicalc was better than any 
accounting program that had been invented on even the largest IBM 
maxicomputers. Visicalc proved that little Apples could be more 
convenient than even the most gigantic IBM.
                             Later, Visicalc became available for 
other computers; but at first, Visicalc required an Apple, and 
Visicalc's success led to the success of Apple.
                             In a typical large corporation, the 
corporate accountant wanted to buy an Apple with Visicalc. Since 
the corporation's data-processing director liked big computers 
and refused to buy microcomputers, the accountant who wanted 
Visicalc resorted to an old business trick: he lied. He pretended 
to spend $2000 for ``typewriters'' but bought an Apple instead. 
He snuck it into the company and plopped it on his desk. That 
happened all across America, so all large corporations had 
thousands of Apples sitting on the desks of accountants and 
managers but disguised as ``typewriters'' or ``word processors''.
                             Yes, Apple computers infiltrated 
American corporations by subversion. It was an underground 
movement that annoyed IBM so much that IBM eventually decided to 
invent a personal computer of its own.
              Apple 2+
  In 1979, Apple Computer Corporation began shipping an improved 
Apple 2, called the Apple 2+.
  Its main improvement was that its ROM chips contained a better 
version of BASIC, called Applesoft BASIC, which could handle 
decimals. (The version of BASIC in the old Apple 2's ROM chips 
handled just integers.)
  Another improvement was how the RESET key acted. On the old 
Apple 2, pressing the RESET key would abort a program, so the 
program would stop running. Too many consumers pressed the RESET 
key accidentally and got upset. On the Apple 2+, pressing the 
RESET key aborted a program just if you simultaneously held down 
the CONTROL key.

                Slots
  In the Apple 2+ and its predecessors, the motherboard contained 
eight slots, numbered from 0 to 7. Each slot could hold a 
printed-circuit card.
  Slot 0 was for a memory card (containing extra RAM). Slot 1 was 
for a printer card (containing a parallel printer port). Slot 2 
was for an internal modem (for attaching to a phone). Slot 3 was 
for an 80-column card (to make the screen display 80 characters 
per line instead of 40). Slot 6 was for a disk controller. Cards 
in slots 4, 5, and 7 were more exotic.

              Apple 2e
  In 1983, Apple began shipping a further improvement, called the 
Apple 2 extended, expanded, enhanced (Apple 2e). Most programs 
written for the Apple 1, 2, and 2+ also run on the Apple 2e.
  Keyboard Whereas the Apple 2+ keyboard contained just 52 keys, 
the Apple 2e keyboard contains 63 keys. The 11 extra keys help 
you type lowercase letters, type special symbols, edit your 
writing, and control your programs.
  For example, the Apple 2e keyboard contains all four arrow keys 
(, , , and ), so you can easily move around the screen in all 
four directions. (The  and  keys were missing from the Apple 2+ 
keyboard.)
  The Apple 2e keyboard contains a DELETE key, so you can easily 
delete an error from the middle of your writing. (The DELETE key 
was missing from the Apple 2+ keyboard.)
  Slot 0 Unlike its predecessors, the Apple 2e omits slot 0, 
because the Apple 2e doesn't need a RAM card: the Apple 2e's 
motherboard already contains lots of RAM (64K).
  Slot 3A The Apple 2e contains an extra slot. It's called slot 
3A. It resembles slot 3 but holds a more modern kind of video 
card that comes in two versions: the plain version lets your 
Apple display 80 characters per line; the fancy version does the 
same but also includes a row of 64K RAM chips, so that your Apple 
contains 128K of RAM altogether.
  Apple 2e versus IBM clones An Apple 2e system costs more than 
an IBM XT clone and in almost every way is worse: for example, 
the Apple 2e system has less RAM (128K instead of 640K), fewer 
keys on the keyboard (63 instead of 83), inferior disk drives 
(writing just 140K on the disk instead of 360K), and a crippled 
version of BASIC (understanding just 114 words instead of 178).
                                         Nevertheless, the Apple 
2e became quite popular, because more educational programs and 
games are available for the Apple 2e than for any other computer. 
That's because the Apple 2e still runs thousands of programs that 
were invented years ago for its predecessors: the Apple 1, 2, and 
2+. Fewer educational programs and games have been written for 
the IBM PC and clones, because the IBM PC costs more than schools 
and kids can afford. Although the IBM PC has become the standard 
computer for business, the Apple 2e is still the standard 
computer for schools and kids.

                                                     Apple 2c
                                         In 1984, Apple created a 
shrunken Apple 2e called the Apple 2 compact (Apple 2c). Besides 
being smaller and lighter than the Apple 2e, it costs less.
                                         Which is better: the 2e 
or the 2c? On the one hand, the 2c costs less, has the 
convenience of being more portable, and consumes less 
electricity. On the other hand, hobbyists spurn the 2c because it 
doesn't have any slots for adding cards; it's not expandable. But 
the average consumer doesn't long for extra cards anyway, since 
the motherboard includes everything a beginner needs: 128K of 
RAM, 80-character-per-line video circuitry, a disk controller, 
and two serial ports. You can run cables from the back of the 2c 
to a serial printer, modem, second disk drive, and joystick.
                                         When the 2c first came 
out, its ROM was fancier than the 2e's, so that the 2c could 
handle BASIC and a mouse better than the 2e. But in February 
1985, Apple began putting the fancy ROM chips in the 2e also, so 
that every new 2e handles BASIC and a mouse as well as the 2c.
                                         Apple 2c+ Apple invented 
an improved Apple 2c, called the Apple 2c+, whose disk drive is 
3-inch instead of 5-inch. Though Apple's 3-inch drive is 
technologically superior to Apple's 5-inch drive, most 
educational software still comes on 5-inch disks and is not 
available on 3-inch disks yet.

                                                     Apple 2GS
                                         In 1986, Apple created 
an improved version of the Apple 2e and called it the Apple 2 
with amazing graphics & sound (Apple 2GS).
                                         Its graphics are fairly 
good (better than EGA, though not as good as VGA). Its musical 
abilities are amazing; they arise from Apple's Ensoniq chip, 
which can produce 32 musical voices simultaneously!
                                         The computer contains an 
extra-fast CPU (the 65816), 128k of ROM, 256K of general-purpose 
RAM, and 64K of RAM for the sound synthesizer.
                                         To run the popular 2GS 
programs, you must add an extra 256K of RAM, to bring the total 
RAM up to 512K. Better yet, get 1M of RAM. Discount dealers have 
sold the 2GS with 1M RAM for $800. That price does not include a 
monitor or any disk drives. To run the popular programs well, you 
must buy a color monitor and two disk drives.

                                                  Apple 2 family
                                         All those computers 
resemble each other, so that most programs written for the Apple 
2 also work on the Apple 2+, 2e, 2c, 2c+, and 2GS.
                                         Apple has stopped 
marketing all those computers, but you can still buy them as 
``used computers'' from your neighbors.
        Laser 128
  Instead of getting an Apple 2c, consider getting a Laser 128. 
It imitates an Apple 2c but costs less.
  It runs most Apple 2c programs perfectly. (Just 5% of the 
popular Apple 2c programs are incompatible with the Laser 128.) 
Like the Apple 2c, the Laser 128 includes 128K of RAM, a disk 
drive, and a serial port. In three ways, it's even better than an 
Apple 2c: it includes a parallel printer port (so you can attach 
a greater variety of printers), a numeric keypad (so you can 
enter data into spreadsheets more easily), and a slot (so you can 
add an Apple 2e expansion card).
  A souped-up version, called the Laser 128EX, goes three times 
as fast.
  The Laser 128 and 128EX are built by the Laser Computer 
division of VTech, the same company that makes IBM clones. You 
can buy the Laser 128 for $279, and the Laser 128EX for $355, 
from a discount dealer called USA Micro (2888 Bluff St., Suite 
257, Boulder CO 80301, phone 800-654-5426 or 303-938-9089).
  Another discount dealer, Perfect Solutions, charges slightly 
more for the computers but slightly less for monitors and other 
add-ons. Contact Perfect Solutions at 12657 Coral Breeze Dr., 
West Palm Beach, FL 33414, phone 800-726-7086 or 407-790-1070.

    Quality Computers
  The biggest dealer still selling hardware and software for the 
Apple 2 family is Quality Computers (20200 Nine Mile Rd., PO Box 
349, St. Clair Shores MI 48080, phone 800-777-3642 or 
313-774-7200). That dealer sells a wide variety of goodies by 
mail and also publishes an Apple 2 magazine called II Alive 
($3.95 per issue, 6 issues per year, $19.95 per year).

                LUXURIOUS APPLES
                             Apple Computer Inc. invented two 
luxury computers, the Apple 3 and the Lisa. Priced at about 
$10,000 (including monitor, hard drive, and software), they were 
too expensive for consumers, but Apple hoped that rich businesses 
would buy a few. They didn't buy. Those luxurious computers were 
financial failures.
                             But Apple learned from its mistakes. 
Here are the details. . . . 

                                                Apple 3
                             Back in 1980, shortly after the 
Apple 2+ was invented, Apple began selling the Apple 3. It was 
much fancier than the Apple 2+. Unfortunately, it was 
ridiculously expensive (it listed for $4995, plus a monitor and 
hard drive), it couldn't run some of the Apple 2+ software, and 
the first ones off the assembly line were defective. Few people 
bought it.
                             When the IBM PC came out and 
consumers realized the PC was better and cheaper than the Apple 
3, interest in the Apple 3 vanished. Apple gave up trying to sell 
the Apple 3, but incorporated the Apple 3's best features into 
later Apples that were more affordable: the Apple 2e and the 
Apple 2GS.

                                                 Lisa
                             Apple's next attempt at a luxurious 
computer was the Lisa, which was named after Steve Job's 
daughter.
                             The Lisa was even more expensive 
than the Apple 3, and it didn't run any Apple 2+ software; in 
fact, it had a completely different CPU. But the Lisa received 
high praise, because its screen could draw fancy graphics 
quickly, and its operating system and business programs were 
extremely easy to learn to use: you just pointed at pictures 
instead of typing hard-to-remember computer commands.
                             The Lisa's screen displayed cute 
little drawings, called icons. Some of the icons stood for 
activities. To make the Lisa perform an activity, you looked on 
the screen for the activity's icon. (For example, to make the 
computer delete a file, you began by looking for a picture of a 
garbage can.) When you pointed at the icon by using a mouse, the 
Lisa performed the icon's activity.
                             The Lisa also used horizontal menus 
and pull-down menus. A horizontal menu was a list of topics 
printed across the top line of the screen. If you pointed at one 
of those general topics (by using the mouse), a column of more 
specific choices appeared underneath that topic; that column of 
specific activities was called a pull-down menu. You then looked 
at the pull-down menu, found the specific activity you were 
interested in, pointed at it (by using the mouse), and the 
computer would immediately start performing that activity.
                             Pointing at icons, horizontal menus, 
and pull-down menus was much easier to learn than using the kinds 
of computer systems other manufacturers had developed before. It 
was also fun! Yes, the Lisa was the first computer whose business 
programs were truly fun to run. And because it was so easy to 
learn to use, customers could start using it without reading the 
manuals. Everybody praised the Lisa and called it a new 
breakthrough in software technology.
                             But even though the Lisa was highly 
praised, few people bought it, because it was too expensive. It 
cost nearly $10,000.
                             Though Apple invented some business 
programs that were fun and easy to use, independent programmers 
had difficulty developing their own programs for the Lisa, 
because Apple didn't supply enough programming tools. Apple never 
invented a version of BASIC, delayed introducing a version of 
PASCAL, and didn't make detailed manuals available to the average 
programmer. And though icons and pull-down menus are easy to use, 
they're difficult for programmers to invent.
                             Apple gradually lowered the Lisa's 
price.

                MACS
  In January 1984, Apple introduced the Macintosh (Mac), which 
was a stripped-down version of the Lisa. Like the Lisa, the Mac 
uses a mouse, icons, horizontal menus, and pull-down menus. The 
Mac's price was low enough to make it popular.
  The Mac is even more fun and easy than the Lisa! It appeals to 
beginners who are scared of computers. Many advanced computerists 
use it also, because it feels ultra-modern, handles graphics 
quickly, and passes data from one program to another simply.
  The original version of the Mac ran too slowly, but the newest 
versions run faster. They're priced about the same as IBM's 
computers, though not as cheaply as IBM clones.
  Since the Mac's so easy to use and costs so little, many people 
have bought it. Lots of software's been developed for it ___ much 
more than for the Lisa. Alas, popular Mac software doesn't run 
well on the Lisa. Apple has stopped selling the Lisa and stopped 
selling a compromise called the Mac XL.

           The first Macs
  Apple began selling the Mac for $2495. The original version of 
the Mac consists of three parts: the mouse, the keyboard, and the 
system unit.
  The system unit contains a 9-inch black-and-white screen (whose 
resolution is 512 by 384), a 3-inch floppy disk drive, and a 
motherboard. On the motherboard sit an 8-megahertz 68000 CPU, two 
ROM chips (containing most of the operating system and many 
routines for drawing graphics), rows of RAM chips, a disk 
controller, and two serial ports (for attaching a printer and a 
modem).
  That Mac is called the original 128K Mac because it includes 
128K of RAM (plus 64K of ROM).
  Then Apple invented an improvement called the 512K Mac because 
it includes 512K of RAM. (It uses two rows of 256K chips instead 
of two rows of 64K chips.) Apple wanted to call it the ``Big 
Mac'' but feared that customers would think it was a hamburger.
  In January 1986, Apple began selling a new, improved Mac, 
called the Mac Plus. It's better than the 512K Mac in several 
ways: it contains a larger RAM (1 megabyte instead of 512K), a 
larger ROM (128K instead of 64K), a better disk drive 
(double-sided instead of single-sided), a larger keyboard (which 
contains extra keys), and a port that let you add a hard-disk 
drive more easily. The improved ROM, RAM, disk drive, keyboard, 
and port all serve the same overall purpose: they provide 
hardware and software tricks that let Mac programs run faster.
  Like the 128K and 512K Macs, the Mac Plus includes one floppy 
drive.

               Mac SE
  In 1987, Apple introduced an even fancier Mac, called the Mac 
SE. It runs software 15% faster than the Mac Plus because it 
contains a cleverer ROM (which is 256K instead of 128K) and 
fancier support chips. It's also more expandable: it lets you 
insert extra circuitry more easily. The keyboard costs extra: buy 
the standard keyboard (which has 81 keys) or the extended 
keyboard (which has 105 keys and costs more).
                                                       Mac 2
                                         When Apple introduced 
the Mac SE, Apple also introduced a luxury model, called the Mac 
2. It contains a faster CPU (a 16-megahertz 68020) and 6 slots 
for inserting printed-circuit cards.
                                         Instead of sticking you 
with a 9-inch black-and-white monitor, it lets you use any kind 
of monitor you wish: choose big or small; choose black-and-white 
or gray-scale or color. The monitor costs extra; so do the 
keyboard (standard or extended) and video card (which you put 
into a slot and attach the monitor to).
                                         Since the Mac 2 lets you 
choose your own monitor, the Mac 2 is called a modular Mac. When 
buying a modular Mac, remember that the monitor costs extra!

                                                     New Macs
                                         All the Macs that I've 
mentioned so far ___ the 128K Mac, 256K Mac, Mac Plus, Mac SE, 
and Mac 2 ___ are obsolete. Apple has stopped selling them. 
Instead, Apple sells newer Macs that are nicer. Here they are. . 
. . 

                                                     Performa
                                         The easiest way to buy a 
good Mac cheaply has been to buy a Mac called the Performa 460.
                                         Where to buy It's been 
sold at discount office-supply stores such as Staples and Office 
Max. To find the Staples or Office Max nearest you, check your 
local phone book or phone 800-333-3330 (for Staples) or 
800-788-8080 (for Office Max).
                                         Price In June 1994, 
Staples was selling the Performa 460 for just $1099 and was 
mailing $100-off coupons to Staples members, bringing the 
effective price down to $999. Most Staples stores are sold out of 
the Performa 460 now (and are waiting for Apple to ship fancier 
Performas), but you might still find a Performa 460 left on a 
shelf in some store. If you find it, grab it.
                                         What you get The 
Performa 460's price includes all you need to get started: the 
computer, keyboard, mouse, 4M main RAM, 512K video RAM, decent 
color monitor (14-inch, with 640x480 resolution), good floppy 
drive (high-density 3-inch), hard drive, fax/modem, and 14 
programs:
the operating system (Mac System 7.1P)

Claris Works (an integrated program that handles word processing, 
databases, spreadsheets, graphics, and communications)

Quicken (which helps you balance your checkbook)

American Heritage Dictionary (which includes definitions; and if 
you know a concept, the program helps you search for the word 
whose definition contains that concept)

Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing (which teaches you how to type)

a computerized board game (Monopoly), an action game (Spectre 
Challenger), and an educational game (Super Munchers)

programs that keeps track of appointments (Datebook Pro) and a 
variety of other tasks (Homeworks Templates)

a collection of cartoons and other artwork you can insert in your 
documents (Click Art Performa Collection)

a utility that helps your modem communicate with the America 
Online database (America Online Apple Special Edition), a utility 
that helps disabled people use the keyboard (At Ease), and a 
utility that helps your Mac swap data with an IBM PC by sharing 
the same 3-inch floppy disk (Mac PC Exchange)
  The fax/modem sends and receives modem data at 2400-baud. It 
sends faxes at 9600-baud. It can't receive any faxes. Since it 
can send faxes but not receive them, it's called a 
send-fax/modem.
  Printer Eventually, you'll want to add a printer, which is not 
include in the Performa 460's price. If you're on a tight budget, 
get Apple's Stylewriter 2 ink-jet printer, which most discount 
dealers sell for just $280.
  Service The computer comes with a one-year warranty. If you 
need a repair, phone Apple headquarters at 800-SOS-APPLE. If 
Apple's technicians can't solve your problem by just chatting 
with you on the phone or sending you a replacement, they'll send 
a repairman to your home, free.
  Two Performas Several other Performas have been sold by 
Staples, Office Max, and other dealers (such as Metro Business 
Systems in New York City at 203-967-3435). Here's how the various 
Performas compare:
Computer  CPU   RAM Big drivesMonitor       Price
Performa 46068030-334M 80M    14-inch (.39mm dot pitch)$1099
Performa 47568040-254M160M    14-inch (.28mm dot pitch)$1249
Performa 47668040-254M230M    14-inch (.28mm dot pitch)$1399
Performa 630CD68040-338M250M + CD-ROM15-inch (.28mm dot 
pitch)$1899
  When you buy the Performa 630CD, you also get a CD-ROM disk 
containing Grolier's encyclopedia.

                     Quadra
  Apple sells a series of Mac computers called the Quadra. Each 
Quadra computer contains a 68040 CPU. They're called Quadra 
computers because of the ``4'' in ``68040''.
  The cheapest and most popular Quadra is the Quadra 605. Like 
the Performa 475 & 476, it contains a 68040-25. It comes in two 
versions:
The Quadra 605 4/160 includes 4M RAM, 160M hard drive, & much 
software. It costs  $930.
The Quadra 605 8/250 includes 8M RAM, 250M hard drive, & much 
software. It costs $1250.
  Those Quadra prices (charged by discount stores such as Comp 
USA) do not include a keyboard (add $160 for Apple's extended 
keyboard or $100 for an imitation by Suntouch), do not include a 
monitor (add $306 for a 14-inch color monitor having .28mm dot 
pitch or $400 for a similar monitor having .26mm dot pitch and a 
flatter screen and stronger colors), and do not include a 
fax/modem.
  The next step up is the Quadra 630. It goes faster, since its 
CPU is a 68040-33 (instead of a 68040-25). It includes 4M RAM and 
250M hard drive and costs $1250. If you want 8M RAM instead of 
4M, you must pay a surcharge.

             Quadra versus Performa
  The Quadra is intended for folks smart enough to know that 
``quadra'' is the Latin word for ``4''. The Performa is intended 
for folks stupid enough to think that the word ``performer'' 
should be pronounced that way.
  The Quadra is intended to be sold by expert computer 
salespeople to expert customers. The Performa is intended to be 
sold by idiots to customers who are idiots.
  Here are the details. . . . 
Quadra computers are sold by computer experts in computer stores 
(such as Comp USA).
Performa computers are sold by idiots in office-supply stores 
(such as Staples and Office Max).

To repair a Quadra, phone the computer technicians at the 
computer store where you bought it.
To repair a Performa computer, you must phone Apple headquarters 
at 800-SOS-APPLE.

For a Quadra, choose which monitor, keyboard, and fax/modem you 
want; they cost extra.
A Performa's price includes a monitor, keyboard, and fax/modem; 
there are no surcharges or choices.

A Quadra's price includes some software.
A Performa's price includes more software ___ especially games 
and tutorials.

The Quadra's operating system is traditional: it's System 7.1.
The Performa's operating system is modified for beginners: it's 
System 7.1P. It annoys experts.


  Though Performas are idiotic, they're the best values: you get 
more hardware and software per dollar when you buy a Performa 
than when you buy a Quadra. For example, the Performa 475 (which 
costs $1249) is a better bargain than a Quadra 605 4/160 (which 
costs $930 + $100 keyboard + $306 monitor + fax/modem).

                    Power Mac
  In March 1994, Apple began selling a faster kind of Mac, called 
the Power Mac. It contains an extra-fast CPU chip, called the 
Power PC, invented by a team from Apple, Motorola, and IBM, all 
working together. The first version of the Power PC chip is 
called the Power PC 601; even faster versions (the Power PC 604 
and Power PC 620) will be developed later.
  Here are Comp USA's prices:
Computer  CPU             Price
Power Mac 6100Power PC 601, at 60 megahertz$1650 for 8/160
Power Mac 7100Power PC 601, at 66 megahertz$2590 for 8/250
Power Mac 8100Power PC 601, at 80 megahertz$3950 for 8/250
  To make the Power Mac (with its Power PC chip) run at full 
speed, you must buy programs written specifically for that chip. 
Such programs are called native-mode Power programs. Programs 
written for other Macs instead will run on the Power PC chip but 
slowly, by using Apple's emulator that makes the Power PC chip 
try to imitate other Mac chips.
  Throughout 1994, computerists were waiting for more native-mode 
Power programs to be written and expected them to be written by 
1995. Folks who bought Power Macs in 1994 were disappointed at 
the slow speed of the emulated software they had to use.
  Apple expected that by 1995 the Power PC would have enough 
native-mode software to become popular, and the Quadras and cheap 
Performas would be phased out.
  I'm writing this book's edition in 1994. If you're reading this 
book in 1995, you're lucky: you're living in my future! Please 
tell me, o future person: will Apple turn out to be right? In 
1995, will the Power PC acquire enough native-mode software to 
become wildly popular? Or will Intel (which Apple calls ``the 
evil empire'') drop Pentium-chip prices enough so that folks 
continue to buy IBM clones instead of Power Macs? Even Apple 
lovers are betting, sadly, that Intel will win.

                    Powerbook
  You can buy these notebook computers, called Powerbooks:
Name        CPU   Screen    Price from discount dealers
Powerbook 15068030-33gray-scale$1337 for 4/120
Powerbook 165c68030-33color $1897 for 4/80

Powerbook 52068040-25gray-scale$2069 for 4/160
Powerbook 520c68040-25color $2630 for 4/160
Each weighs about 7 pounds and includes a floppy drive.
  The following Powerbooks are pricey because their screens are 
active-matrix, which means the screens respond extra-quickly and 
are extra-bright:
Name        CPU   Screen    Price from discount dealers
Powerbook 18068030-33active gray-scale$1599 for 4/80;  $2097 for 
8/160
Powerbook 180c68030-33active color$2699 for 4/160; $2895 for 
4/320

Powerbook 540c68040-33active color$4249 for 4/320; $5049 for 
12/320
  The Powerbook Duo is a notebook that weighs under 5 pounds 
because it lacks a floppy drive. It comes in three versions:
Name        CPU   Screen    Price from discount dealers
Powerbook Duo 23068030-33gray-scale$1149 for 4/120

Powerbook Duo 28068040-33active gray-scale$2349 for 4/240; $2869 
for 12/240
Powerbook Duo 280c68040-33active color$3349 for 4/320; $3829 for 
12/320

                    Many Macs
  Many other Macs have come & gone. Here's a list of all Macs:

CPU  Current Macs                     Discontinued Macs
68000-8                               128K, 512K, 512Ke, Plus, 
SE, Classic
68000-16                              Powerbook 100, Portable

68020-16                              2, LC

68030-16                              
Perf200&400&405&410&430,Pb140,LC2,Classic2,ColorClassic,SE/30,2x,
2cx
68030-20                              2si
68030-25                              Performa 450, Powerbook 
145&145B&160&170&210, LC 3&520, 2ci
68030-32                              Performa 600&600CD, 2vx
68030-33 Performa 460&466&467&550, Powerbook 
150&165c&180&180c&230                 Powerbook 165&250&270c
68030-40                              2fx

68040-20                              Centris 610
68040-25 Quadra 605, Performa 475&476, LC 475Quadra 
610&660AV&700&900, Centris 650&660AV
68040-33 Quadra 630, Pf 575&577&578&630, Pb 540&540c&280&280c, LC 
575                                   Quadra 650&800&950
68040-40                              Quadra 840AV

601-60   Power Mac 6100
601-66   Power Mac 7100
601-80   Power Mac 8100

              Should you buy a Mac?
  Let's evaluate the Mac's famous features.
  To use the Mac, you choose items from on-screen menus instead 
of having to memorize commands and type them. That's good!
  To choose from a menu, the Mac requires you to point at the 
menu item by using a mouse. That's fun and easy to understand but 
slow: you must move your hand from the keyboard to the mouse, 
move the mouse's pointer to the menu item, then click the mouse's 
button. Fast typists prefer the menu methods popularized by Lotus 
1-2-3 and Microsoft Windows: they let you keep your hands on the 
keyboard and just hit two keys. The first key (which in Lotus is 
a slash, and in Windows is the Alt key) tells the computer that 
you want to choose from a menu; the next key is the first letter 
of the menu item you're choosing.
  In most Mac software, a menu across the top of the screen 
displays words, and a menu down the screen's left side displays 
little pictures called icons. Though the icons are cute and 
appeal to people who can't read English, you can get frustrated 
trying to guess what each icon means. For example, in Mac Paint 
one of the icons is supposed to be a picture of an eraser but 
looks more like a block of wood. Mac software takes the world 
back to the age of hieroglyphics, which are not an improvement 
over the Roman alphabet!
  The Mac remains popular because it's great for graphics, cute 
enough to turn computer haters into computer lovers, and sports a 
screen that can display different typestyles and type sizes 
quickly enough to amaze desktop-publishing enthusiasts.
  Price The Macs are competitively priced against IBM but not 
against IBM PC clones. That's why most people buy IBM PC clones, 
not Macs.
  For example, suppose you want to buy a computer with a color 
monitor. The cheapest Mac with a color monitor is the Performa 
460, which costs about $1000. But for that same price, VTech will 
sell you an IBM clone having these advantages over the Performa 
460: VTech includes a bigger drive (210M instead of 80M), a 
better monitor (.28mm insteda of .39mm, and 1024x768 instead of 
640x480), and a faster CPU (its 486SX-33 goes about twice as fast 
as the Performa 460's 68030-33). Though the Mac includes better 
audio (a microphone and a 4-voice speaker) and a better operating 
system (since Mac System 7.1P is easier to learn than MS-DOS plus 
Windows), the VTech remains a better deal.
  For pricier computers, that discrepancy persists. For example, 
a budget of about $1700 gets you a good IBM clone from VTech (66 
megahertz CPU with 8M RAM, 420M hard drive, good 14-inch monitor, 
CD-ROM drive, etc.) but just a mediocre Mac ($1250 Quadra 605 
with 25 megahertz CPU, 8M RAM and 250M hard drive; plus $100 
keyboard; plus $400 good 14-inch monitor; no CD-ROM drive).
  The IBM-versus-Mac contest would be more interesting if 
somebody would clone the Mac; but nobody dares, since many of the 
Mac's parts are copyrighted and patented by Apple. The IBM PC can 
be cloned more easily, because IBM buys most of its parts from 
suppliers who also sell to IBM's competitors. Just a few parts in 
IBM's computers are built and patented by IBM.
  For many years, IBM didn't enforce its patents. In 1988, IBM 
sent clone manufacturers notices that demanded retroactive 
licensing fees.
  Mac versus IBM Which is better, a Mac or an IBM PC? When the 
Mac
was invented in 1984, the answer was simple: the Mac's software 
was easier to understand than the IBM PC's; but the Mac ran too 
slowly, and not enough Mac software was available. Now the IBM PC 
and Mac have both improved: IBM PC programmers, inspired by the 
Mac, have developed Mac-like easy-to-use software that runs on 
the IBM PC; and Mac developers, cowering under the power of the 
IBM PC marketplace, have developed faster hardware and more 
software.
                                                     So the IBM 
PC and Mac are resembling each other more. The question of which 
to buy is a matter of personal taste. The IBM PC appeals to 
people who are efficient, businesslike, conservative; the Mac 
appeals to people who are inspired, artistic, radical. Though I 
still recommend IBM PC clones, my advice might shift if the Mac 
continues to improve.
                                                     Mac-inspired 
systems Inspired by the Mac, programmers have invented graphical 
user interfaces (GUI), which are software utilities making other 
computers resemble a Mac. The most popular graphical user 
interfaces for microcomputers are Microsoft Windows (which runs 
on the IBM), OS/2 (on the IBM), Gem (on the IBM and Atari ST), 
Geos (on the IBM, Apple 2GS, and Commodore 64), and Prodos 16 (on 
the Apple 2GS).
                                                     But the Mac 
remains more pleasant than those competitors because the Mac's 
been around longer and developed a larger library of software to 
choose from. Much of the Mac's success is due to Guy Kawasaki, 
whose title at Apple was ``Mac Software Evangelist'': he 
convinced all major software companies to write programs for the 
Mac and make their programs resemble each other, so once you've 
learned to use one Mac program you can easily learn all the 
others. That's what makes the Mac so wonderfully easy to use: 
consistent software interfaces.

               NEWTON
  In 1993, Apple invented a palmtop computer called the Newton.
  Instead of containing a keyboard, it contains a tablet you 
write on with a pen. The computer tries to read your handwriting 
and figure out which words you scribbled.
  The newest version of the Newton, the Newton Message Pad 110, 
costs $546 at Comp USA.

           Is Newton good?
  Computerists praise Apple for hitting on the Newton idea, and 
say the idea is very striking, but complain that the resulting 
Newton acts brain-damaged: it makes many mistakes when trying to 
interpret your handwriting. Because Newton makes so many 
mistakes, it isn't popular: most folks don't give a fig about 
Newton.
  The modern world needs to go beyond Newton. We need an 
Einstein.
  John Sculley, who headed Apple when the Newton was invented, 
hoped that the Newton would have a major effect on his career.
  He was right: the Newton did have a major effect on his career. 
It ended his career: Apple's board of directors ousted him for 
spending too much effort on the Newton and not enough on Apple's 
mainstream products.

           WHO RUNS APPLE?
                                         Steve Wozniak got in an 
airplane crash that hurt his head and gave him amnesia, so he 
left the company and enrolled in college under a fake name 
(``Rocky Clark''). After he graduated, he returned to Apple 
Computer Company quietly. Steve Jobs managed the company.
                                         Though Apple was 
successful, Steve Jobs' strategies upset some computerists. For 
example, Apple's ads claimed that the Apple was the first 
personal computer (it was not the first!); Apple launched a big 
campaign to make businessmen buy Apple PASCAL (even though Apple 
PASCAL was of no help to the average businessman whatsoever); 
Apple prohibited its dealers from displaying games (though Apple 
has since relented); and Apple still prohibits authorized dealers 
from selling Apples by mail order.
                                         Apple Computer Inc. 
donated free Apple computers to schools for three reasons: to be 
nice, get a tax write-off, and lure schools into buying Apples 
(to be compatible with the Apples that the schools received 
free). But if Apple really wanted to be nice, it would lower 
prices further so that low-income consumers could afford them. 
Apple isn't trying to sell to the poor; instead, Apple's trying 
to sell to the ``chic''.
                                         Steve & Steve both left 
Apple and went separate ways. Apple's next head was John Sculley, 
a marketer who used to be a vice-president of Pepsi. He made 
Pepsi the #2 soft drink (just behind Coke) and kept Apple the #2 
microcomputer company (just behind IBM). In 1993, he stepped 
down; now Apple's headed by Michael Spindler, an efficient German 
trying to drop Apple's costs and prices.