MicroscopeSheldonLeemonThe new Apple IlGS is close in priceto both existing Apple computerlines. At $995 without a monitor ordisk drive, it's only a little moreexpensive than the lie and He and alittle less so than the 512K Macintosh. Before the IlGS came out, manyindustry analysts were suggestingthat its introduction would meandrastic price cuts in the current Apple II line, perhaps causing Apple tostart selling them through massmarketdistribution channels. Discussing why that hasn't happenedmay shed some light on the currentstate of the microcomputer market.For one thing, it no longerseems inevitable that computerprices will always keep goingdown.When Commodore broughtout the 64C, effectively raising theprice of the Commodore 64 for thefirst time since its introduction, thatsignaled that the home computerwars were really over. Undoubtedly, one of the reasons the survivorsseem less enthusiastic about pricecutting is that there is no longermuch room for prices to go down.But another factor may be that consumers don't now seem to have thesame thirst for ever-lower prices.Now that many have gotten theirfeet wet with low-cost computers,they've learned some importantlessons. They've learned that in order to make a cheap computer doeverything you want it to do,you've got to buy some not-socheapperipherals. By the timeyou've bought a monitor, printer,disk drives, and software, the priceof the computer itself has become alot less important. They've alsolearned that while a bare-bonessystem will get the job done, spending a little more money can save alot of time and inconvenience.Experience has made computerbuyers more solution-oriented.They know that while newer computers may offer more performance,they often have less software thanthe older, established models. So,though the Apple II is ancient incomparison to the less expensiveAtari ST, there are many peoplewho prefer to buy the Apple simplybecause they know it has loads ofavailable software. Even the Commodore 64 has developed such afollowing that people continue tobuy it despite its close pricing tomore advanced machines like Commodore's own 128.Of course, market forces andthe desires of the consumer aren'tthe only factors that control computer pricing. There are very goodreasons why a computer manufacturer offers different types of computers which appear to competewith each other in price. For onething, the relatively high price ofthe GS makes the low-end Macintosh look like a bargain by comparison. A lot of current Apple IIowners are going to think "Whybuy a IlGS when I can get a Mac forthe same money?" This is probablyjust what Apple wants, since a customer starting at the low end of theMac line will eventually spendmore than the customer who hasreached the end of the Apple II line.And no matter how heroic an effortmanufacturers make, at some point8-bit computers will be truly dead.This provides additional incentiveto move as many current customersas possible up to the 16-bit lines.Apple is not the only companyusing this strategy. The lowestpricedAtari 520 ST system withmonochrome monitor ($500-$600on sale) is not much more than ahigh-end 130XE system (about $400with monitor and drive). And Commodore is expected to soon introduce a low-end Amiga that shouldbe priced similarly to a 128 system.***************************Atari once again had the mostcrowded booth at the NovemberCOMDEX (<strong>Computer</strong> Dealers' Exposition). The only piece of newhardware shown by Atari was a1200-bps modem for $99, but itsdisplay of third-party software, including some very inexpensivedesktop publishing ST software,packed them in for the entire show.Though no new ST models were ondisplay, there were rumors of a reconfigured 1040 for the businessmarket. This machine would be introduced to support the efforts ofthe newly announced Fortune 500/OEM department, which will beheaded by former software chiefSig Hartmann. In addition to a newblitter chip and ROMs and an expansion bus that gives access to the6<strong>80</strong>00 processor, the cosmetic appearance of the machine has beenimproved by a detached keyboardand modular, stackable CPU.Rumors persist that Commodore isgoing to downplay or even quietlydrop the 128 after Christmas, Although the machine has sold fairlywell in its first year it hasn't replaced the 64 in the hearts of thecomputer-buying public. More importantly, Commodore isn't making nearly as big a profit margin onthe 128 as it is on the 64C. Andapparently, making the 128 compatible with the 64 wasn't enoughfor some owners, who wanted theexpanded features of the machineto be compatible with the 64 aswell. These people will get theirwish in the form of a $150 256KRAM expansion for the 64 that willbe introduced soon. If that provesto be popular, you may see theC256, a 64 with 25 6K RAM expansion built-in. And 1987 may be theyear that frees 64 owners of thehorrendous 1541 disk drive. Expectto see the 1581, a 3Va-inch drive,appear sometime early in '87 at aprice somewhere between that ofthe 1541 and the 1571. G24 COMPUTE! February 1987
Make Any <strong>Computer</strong> Do Exactly What YouWant With McGraw-Hill'sContemporaryProgramming &I-——,From Writing Your Own Programs toModifying Existing Software, Here's the New,Easy, and Low Cost Way to Unlock the Secretsof Your <strong>Computer</strong>Whether you use computers for business, for personalapplications, or for fun, off-the-shelf programs will never doeverything you want them to do for you. That's because theywere written by programmers to satisfy what they perceivedas the needs of the greatest number of potentialusers—often missing some or many of yourspecific needs.That's why McGraw-Hill's new ContemporaryProgramming and Software Design Series teachesyou how to create your own software... eitherfrom scratch or by making key modifications toexisting programs.There is nothing magical about it. You learn theprocess of building a computer program step-bystepwith McGraw-Hill Concept Modules sent to you one at atime, once a month. Each of the ten modules in the Series takesyou through an important step in the development of thestructure and detailed logic of a program, including testing,debugging, and documentation.Unique Interactive Hands-On InstructionEach module includes an easy-to-understand guide PLUS a5lA" floppy disk containing typical programs and interactiveinstruction that you can run on Commodore 64 and 128 computers, IBMPCs and PC compatibles for hands-on experience.In the first Module, for example, when your sample program (DecliningInterest Loans) appears on your screen, you'll find errors on certain program lines. You'll also see that the program is only three-quarters completed.Now comes the fun part. You'll discoverhow this program is buill, and in the processyou'll learn how to identify and correcterrors. And by the end of Module 1,you'll actually have completed thisprogram yourself.But there's more. Special graphicson your screen work in conjunction with the accompanying guideto amplify, illustrate, and deepenyour understanding of softwaredesign principles.Make no mistake. Almost all books and courses on "programming"teach you only the final 5% of the total programming processnamely,how to code in a specific language... information of littlevalue if you don't know how to reach the point in the programmingprocess when you are ready to code.With the Series, however, you'll learn to create your own programsfrom scratch, even modify off-the-shelf programs. You'll learn enoughBASIC and machine language to get you started on the remaining5% of the programming process.Build Your Own Personal Software LibraryThe sample programs you work with throughout theSeries are excellent learning tools. But they're more thanthai. By combining the sample programs onto one masterdisk, you'll have the start of your own persona) softwarelibrary. In addition to the programs you've written andmodified throughout the Series, you'll also receive dozensof the most popular public domain and user-supported programs, such as data base manager, word processor, calendar generator, appointments reminder and much,much more.15-Day No-Risk TrialTo order your first module without risk, send thepostage-paid card today.Examine the first modulefor 15 days and see howthe Series will help youmake your computer doexactly what you wantit to do!If someone has beaten you to the card, write to us for ordering information about the Contemporary Programming andSoftware Design Series.The Crucial 95%—Learn the Foundation of <strong>Computer</strong> ProgrammingWhile the Series includes interactive disks that run on specific computers, everythingyou learn you can apply to any language or machine. Why is this possible? BecauseMcGraw-Hill knows programming is far more than coding a program into the computerusing a specific language. In the real world of computers, 95% of the programming process is carried out using design techniques that are independent of specific language ormachine. It is this crucial 95% that you thoroughly understand and master in the Series.McGraw-HillContinuing Education Center3939 Wisconsin AvenueWashington, DC 20016
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