Subject: [cosell: Criticism of the Mac]
From: "Richard P. Wilkes" <RICK@MIT-MC>
To: eed_wgmm.jhu@CSNET-RELAY
Date: 26 September 1984 03:29-EDT

Date: Sun, 23 Sep 84 22:39:37 EDT
From: Bernie Cosell <cosell at BBN-LABS-B.ARPA>
To:   info-micro at BRL.ARPA
Re:   Criticism of the Mac

The September issue of the Atlantic has a `Computers' column by James Fallows
(actually, I don't recall seeing such a column in the Atlantic before so I'm
not sure if it is a one-off or a newly instituted regular).  In it, among other
things, he does a pretty scathing job of cutting the Mac.  It turns out that he
virtually completely presents my primary gripe about the Mac (and says it a lot
better than I ever could).  I'm sorry for this late notice -- I think the Sept
issue is just about to disappear from the newsstands.  The article is much too
long to post, but if you're really interested and can't find a copy I could
probably be persuaded to (US) mail you a Xerox...

Excerpt:
   ...Considered as a feat of engineering, the Macintosh is as dazzling as
    anything that might be found at the Paris Air show.  It is that rare
    product in which innovations that were difficult to create are also
    impressive to see.	There is a vivacity to the screen display that can be
    matched only on the Macintosh's forebears, Apple's Lisa computer and the
    Xerox Star system....
    ...Technically sweet as it is, the Macintosh fails the basic test that the
    market has established for personal computers: it does not make enough of
    life's chores simpler...Apart from those who routinely need to make
    sketches or charts and include them in memos, not many people will find
    that their lives are easier because of Macintosh...
    ...Most keyboards have a ``number pad'' which makes business and accounting
    projects go more quickly.  The Macintosh does not... Even more irritating,
    its designers, in an act of inexplicable hubris, decided the that
    Macintosh should be the only computer ever built without cursor keys...
    Making a mouse available is like offering your guests chopsticks in
    addition to silverware.  Making it mandatory is like forcing them to use
    chopsticks even when you're serving soup...

/Bernie
  cosell@bbn-unix
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