The Macs factor: there are many flavors of Macintosh. Is one for you? - Evaluation

Home Office Computing, May, 1993 by David Hallerman

There Are Many Flavors Of Macintosh. Is One for You?

If you're considering a Macintosh computer, your timing is perfect. There have never been more Mac models on the market-and, knowing Apple, there will be even more by the time this issue hits the newsstand. Among desktop systems, there are 14 different Macs, ranging from the very basic Classic II through the newly introduced Centris midline (look for our reviews in upcoming issues) to the superfast Quadra workstations. And notebook fans will find six varieties of Macintosh PowerBooks on store shelves, including the two PowerBook Duos, notebook-desktop hybrids. In this month's Reviews, we'll be looking at 15 different Mac machines--10 desktop systems (including one recently discontinued model and one that's soon to be; see "Catch One If You Can," page 72) and five notebook computers.

BUYER, BE AWARE

Besides having the same graphical-user interface, Macintosh models are more alike than they are different. That's why, when trying to pick a Mac for your home office, it helps to know the sometimes subtle distinctions.

For instance, the contrasts among the three original Performa computers (the 200, 400, and 600) and their twin models (the Classic II, LC II, and IIvx, respectively) are small but significant. The Performas are sold through mass merchandisers, such as Sears, whereas the standard models are found at computer stores and chains. And since Apple is pitching the Performas to small businesses, only those machines offer bundled applications software; depending on which model you buy and where you buy it, you could find GreatWorks, ClickArt, M.Y.O.B., or other applications preinstalled. Unfortunately, the Performas are not shipped with system disks like all other Macs are; you have to hack up the preinstalled system yourself (which itself is enhanced with ease-of-use features, such as Application Launcher, which makes programs' icons easier to find, and At Ease, a simplified and protective overlay for the Mac desktop).

Hardware differences are few but note-worthy. Mainly, the Performa 600 doesn't sport the IIvx's 68882 math coprocessor, which speeds up many numerical and graphical operations, and internal cache, which spills up operating system performance. But, in a departure for Apple, all Performa packages include keyboards. Finally, in addition to Apple's now basic one-year warranty across the line, the Performas offer in-home service and an 800 number for technical support.

Many people forgo PCs for Macs because Macs are typically easier to use, with a better-integrated, more polished onscreen interface than a 486 running Microsoft Windows. Yet as configured by Apple, that ease of use is compromised in every Mac we reviewed--not enough memory being the culprit. On a few systems, 5MB of RAM is the standard setup; 4MB is more common. But with today's memory-hungry systems and application software, you really need at least 8MB for efficient work, more if you can afford it. Luckily, it's relatively inexpensive to upgrade memory. We suggest you do that when you purchase your system, which is often a better time to negotiate a good package price.

In addition, many of the non-Performa Mac systems are frequently advertised at strikingly low prices--minus the keyboard and monitor (that's the way Apple ships them). This method lets you choose those two vital peripherals for yourself, but remember to leave room in the budget for the $500 or so extra those devices will set you back.

OTHER NEEDED HARDWARE

Along with the Mac systems introduced late last year (the IIvx, the Duos, and the PowerBooks 160 and 180), Apple also introduced several major peripherals. You'll undoubtedly be pitched one or more of these devices when you go to buy a Macintosh.

Monitors. A 14-inch Trinitron tube called the Macintosh Color Display is the Mac II line's new standard color monitor. It offers a sharp image (.26mm dot-pitch), sits on a handy tilt-and-swivel base, and lists for $589, several hundred less than the 13-inch Apple-Color RGB monitor it's replacing. The Performa 400 and 600 are sold with one of two different 14-inch monitors: the .39mm dot-pitch Performa Display ($359) or the .29mm dot-pitch Performa Plus Display ($440). Even the higher-end Performa monitor paled when compared side by side with the Mac Color Display, which offered a sharper, more saturated color image.

Fax/modem. PowerBook users may want to beef up their systems with the speedy PowerBook Express Modem ($319). This Hayes-compatible internal unit sends and receives data at 14,400 bits per second, with fax transmissions at 9,600 bps, and it lists for only about $100 more than the original 2,400-bps modem.

CD-ROM player. The fraternal twin models IIvx and Performa 600 both offer an optional internal AppleCD 300i CD-ROM drive; an external version model 300 ($599) is available for other systems. What makes this new player special is its high-speed data transfer. At 300K per second, Apple claims that the 300i operates at twice the speed of ordinary CD-ROM drives. In addition, the player supports multisession Kodak Photo CD, the film manufacturer's new means of transferring photographs to CD-ROM disks.