The Cutting Edge: Computing / Technology / Innovation : Ready for the Future? Apple’s New Power Mac Is Worth Looking Into
Apple Computer is known for its willingness to innovate and take risks, and those traits shine brightly in the company’s new line of personal computers, the Power Macintosh systems.
These are the first PCs to come with a new-generation central processing unit--the PowerPC chip--but they maintain the legendary “look and feel” of the venerable Mac. Like the other Macs, they are elegantly designed, simple to set up and easy to use, but it will take a new generation of software to fully exploit their potential.
The PowerPC chip, which was developed by Apple, IBM and Motorola, is based on so-called reduced instruction set computing (RISC) technology. In principle, that means more performance from a smaller and cheaper package--though Intel, which makes the 486 and Pentium CPUs for IBM-compatible PCs, claims its technology is as good or better. I judge a machine by how well it runs my software, and on that score, the Power Mac fares very well.
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The main advantage of Power Macs is that they are substantially faster than previous Macs. But there is a big caveat: To take advantage of the performance abilities of the new PowerPC, you need software that has been written or adapted for the chip. Programs designed specifically for this chip run in “native mode.” Other Mac software runs in what’s called emulation mode--they require the machine to emulate the old-style Macs and their old-style CPUs.
The Power Mac does this emulation very well, but it comes at a performance price: Existing programs run more slowly on a Power Mac than they do on earlier high-end Macs, though the performance is certainly acceptable. There were about 100 “native mode” PowerMac applications as of June 16, according to Apple. Most Macintosh software developers, over time, are expected to adapt their programs to run in native mode.
If you need a new Mac, you should seriously consider the Power Mac as an investment in the future. If you already have a Mac, you might want to postpone upgrading to a Power Mac until your favorite programs are adapted for use on the new machine. Despite the change in CPU, the basic software on the new Macs works just as it does on the older Macs--a nice feature for those who are upgrading.
As with all Macs, the Power Mac 7100/66AV I tested was easy to put in gear. The entire setup process--from sealed cartons to a working system--took me less than 15 minutes. I never cracked open a manual and didn’t give much thought to which cables went where. If they fit, I plugged them in. But that’s exactly the point. There really wasn’t any need to read anything or even to think about the process. It wasn’t quite as simple as plugging in a new toaster, but it was close.
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Best of all, there were no CONFIG.SYS files, AUTOEXEC.BAT files or WIN.INI files to worry about, as there are with IBM-compatible machines. The Macintosh system software--which comes “pre-installed”--simply worked, as did all the programs I installed. And the process, too, is pleasantly mindless: Insert a disk into the drive, click on the “Install” icon and wait while the machine copies the file.
None of this comes as a big surprise, since the Mac is famous for being easy to configure. What did come as a bit of a shock was how easy it was to use the CD-ROM drive that is built into this and other Macs that have the “AV” (audiovisual) designation.
In most cases, running a multimedia CD title on the Mac involves inserting the disc and clicking on an icon. Compare this to Windows, where you typically have to run an “install” program and then wait while it copies several megabytes’ worth of files are onto the hard disk. (Multiply this by several titles and you can quickly fill up a 200-megabyte drive.)
Then you have to worry about what that “install” program might have done to your CONFIG.SYS, AUTOEXEC.BAT, SYSTEM.INI and WIN.INI files. Some even copy files to your Windows system directory. Most CDs don’t come with an “uninstall” program, so if you later decide to get rid of the program, you have no idea which files are safe to delete.
The Power Mac I tested came with an Apple monitor and built-in stereo speakers. All Macs have the ability to play back sound, while IBM-compatible PCs must be equipped with a special sound board.
Apple advertises that the Power Mac can run MS-DOS and Windows programs. That’s true, but it requires a special program, called SoftWindows, which lets the Mac emulate a PC. It’s OK if you have to run an occasional DOS or Windows program, but don’t buy a Mac if what you really want is a machine designed for DOS or Windows. To run SoftWindows properly, you’ll need a Mac with at least 16 megabytes of RAM. Even then, Windows runs excruciatingly slowly.
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If what you do want is an easy-to-use Macintosh that’s poised for the next generation of software, then a Power Macintosh makes a lot of sense. The prices start below $2,000, though you’ll probably spend a lot more. The unit I tested, with 16 megabytes of RAM and a 500-megabyte hard disk, has a retail price of about $4,000, plus $599 for the audiovisual monitor and $90 for the keyboard.
Another option is to buy a less expensive Mac with a conventional (68040) CPU that can later be upgraded to PowerPC. Apple this week introduced a line of low-cost Macs designed for home use. Machines in the Macintosh Peforma 630 family use a Motorola 68040 CPU and come with at least 4 megabytes of RAM and a 250-megabyte hard disk. You can get an optional video-TV system just in case you want to watch television in a little window while you use your Macintosh.
The board will also allow you to capture video images that can be used as still graphics in reports and other documents. Prices for the new Performas range from about $1,500 to $2,349. Multimedia models with CD drives start at $1,900. Apple plans to release a Power Macintosh upgrade card for these machines, expected to be priced at about $600.
Computer File welcomes your comments. Write to Lawrence J. Magid, 898 Chestnut St., Suite 3, Redwood City, CA 94063, or message him at magid@latimes.com on the Internet or KPVN58A on Prodigy.
