July was a time for — Clones, Disposable PCs and Roadies

(Photos taken with a Kodak DC50 digital camera)

Washington Apple Pi Journal, Vol. 19, no. 5, September-October 1997, pp. 17-20.

July is supposed to be in the middle of the “lazy days of summer,” when people, overcome the heat and seduced by beckoning ocean breezes, spend their time at the beach. No phones, no fax machines, no beepers, no computers …

Hah! The summer of 1997 was anything but calm and lazy, and people don’t tend to leave their PowerBooks at home when they go to the beach. Not only was the weather hot, so was the news: a hot Board of Directors sacked the chairman of Apple, Macintosh clone makers introduced some radically hot Power Macintosh clone computers, Connectix started selling a hot piece of software allowing you to run Windows 95 – or any other Intel-based software – on a Power Macintosh (a chilling thought), Mac OS 8 got off to a blazing hot start right on schedule, and the looming approach of MacWorld Boston brought with it anticipation of some scorching hot technology.

Kiosks scattered around the Apple road show allowed visitors to try out various pieces of hardware and software. Kids received special attention: note the child on the left, standing on the Apple logo-shaped platform.

While deferring to others for a formal General Meeting report, Motorola took the opportunity to visit in July. Bob “Dr. Mac” Le Vitus, famed Macintosh author and publisher, served as the Motorola spokesperson, giving a host of excellent reasons why you’d choose this $28 billion company to build your next Power Macintosh. Starting with the very reasonable (but often overlooked) premise that they helped design, and currently manufacture, the PowerPC chips at the heart of modern Macdom, and extending to the unrivaled five year warranty on Motorola’s StarMax line of Mac OS systems, the presentation was persuasive – and done on the Pi’s Power Macintosh 7100.

Apple's road show at Tyson's Galleria featured one of the rare, and expensive, Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh computers. Blessed with a fast processor and a powerful sound system, it attracted attention for more than its high style. Note the detachable trackpad on the right, removed from its cradle in the keyboard. — Apple’s road show at Tyson’s Galleria featured one of the rare, and expensive, Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh computers. Blessed with a fast processor and a powerful sound system, it attracted attention for more than its high style. Note the detachable trackpad on the right, removed from its cradle in the keyboard.

Out in the lobby, Motorola had a StarMax tower computer on display. Shipped in a cardboard box, it didn’t survive its trip to the Washington area (Motorola should invest in some custom-made Armor cases). But the Motorola representative took off the outer cover, exposing the insides for the techies to see. One of the first things to see, of course, was the motherboard, and the Apple copyright notice. Motorola swears that, if it had been working, it would have worked just like a Macintosh. A very fast Macintosh.

Apple road show visitors pay rapt attention to a demonstration of Kai's Power Goo. One of the show employees confessed to being somewhat unnerved by the intent, serious looks: Power Goo is a powerful tool, but it is also fun, so why the serious looks? — Apple road show visitors pay rapt attention to a demonstration of Kai’s Power Goo. One of the show employees confessed to being somewhat unnerved by the intent, serious looks: Power Goo is a powerful tool, but it is also fun, so why the serious looks?

Back in the General Meeting, Erik Kiehle of Connectix gave one of the best, and unintentionally funniest, presentations in quite a while. In demonstrating Virtual PC, Connectix’s latest software marvel, he had no choice but to also show Windows 95 and Windows 3.1. He freely admitted that Windows 3.1 is a dog, and expressed amazement that anyone ever put up with it. Windows 95, in comparison, is at least somewhat useful, he admitted (to hisses from the audience). It was a memorable scene: Erik was obviously pleased to be showing such a well-designed, inexpensive ($149) software package. On the other hand, he was just as clearly amused, and bemused, at the end result: running Windows 3.1, or Windows 95, is definitely “slumming” when you’re used to a Macintosh.

The strange humor of You Don't Know Jack Movies captures the attention of Apple road show visitors, and captures many smiles as well. — The strange humor of You Don’t Know Jack Movies captures the attention of Apple road show visitors, and captures many smiles as well.

The point, he repeatedly strived to make, was not that Windows 95 is “good,” but that you can now run it on “superior hardware.” And, as he demonstrated at one point, Virtual PC allows you to easily do something you’ve probably wanted to do: throw the entire (emulated) PC in the Mac’s trash can. Who can resist a disposable PC?

On the inside, the Motorola StarMax begins to look more like a Macintosh, starting with the green fiberglass motherboard adorned with "© Apple Computer Inc." printed right on it. By the end of the year, Motorola should be selling StarMax machines without the Apple copyright, based instead on Motorola's version of the CHRP (Common Hardware Reference Platform) design. But you'll still be able to run MacOS. — On the inside, the Motorola StarMax begins to look more like a Macintosh, starting with the green fiberglass motherboard adorned with “© Apple Computer Inc.” printed right on it. By the end of the year, Motorola should be selling StarMax machines without the Apple copyright, based instead on Motorola’s version of the CHRP (Common Hardware Reference Platform) design. But you’ll still be able to run MacOS.

By a happy scheduling quirk, Erik was the first person to demonstrate Mac OS 8 to Washington Apple Pi. This added to the wonderful absurdity of the moment: Erik was beside himself with joy at the wonders of Mac OS 8, offering bits and pieces of praise and admiration for Apple’s software. His job, of course, was to show the wonders of Virtual PC, and he did this, too. By the end of the meeting, everyone agreed that Virtual PC was wonderful, Mac OS 8 was wonderful, Erik’s Power Book 3400/240 was wonderful, and the solitaire game in Windows 3.1 was “addictive.” No one, not even Erik, said Windows was wonderful.

Motorola representatives reluctantly admit that, on the outside, their StarMax MacOS computers border on "butt ugly." But this tower was designed to sit on the floor, so you can hide it, while you appreciate its speed on the monitor on your desk. — Motorola representatives reluctantly admit that, on the outside, their StarMax MacOS computers border on “butt ugly.” But this tower was designed to sit on the floor, so you can hide it, while you appreciate its speed on the monitor on your desk.

Meanwhile, around the Beltway at Tyson’s Galleria, Apple staged a “New Road Show,” a collection of kiosks assembled in the upscale mall touting the wonders of Macintosh and Mac OS 8. At Apple’s invitation, Washington Apple Pi helped staff the kiosks July 25 to July 27. In fact, several Pi members assembled the kiosks, after Apple’s contractors failed to show up.

One Apple road show visitor found an innovative orientation for writing on an eMate. Much to everyone's amazement, it worked. — One Apple road show visitor found an innovative orientation for writing on an eMate. Much to everyone’s amazement, it worked.

The road show attracted a constant stream of visitors, ranging from kids looking for cool new games to senior citizens looking for ways to send E-mail to their grandkids. Pi members answered thousands of questions, ranging from “Can my Mac Plus at home run Mac OS 8?” to ”What Mac should I get for my research on gene splicing?” to “My God, is that [Apple’s 20th Anniversary Macintosh] a Mac?”

What will they think of next: Windows 95 running in a Mac OS 8 window, courtesy of Connectix's astonishing Virtual PC. Aside from the mere fact that you can do it, Virtual PC also makes Windows 95 much easier to configure than on a "real" PC: a nice, neat Mac configuration window handles all the pesky PC details concerning ports, video, sound, CD-ROM, and other traditional heartaches. Plus - you can throw it all in the Mac trash can if you find it unbearable. — What will they think of next: Windows 95 running in a Mac OS 8 window, courtesy of Connectix’s astonishing Virtual PC. Aside from the mere fact that you can do it, Virtual PC also makes Windows 95 much easier to configure than on a “real” PC: a nice, neat Mac configuration window handles all the pesky PC details concerning ports, video, sound, CD-ROM, and other traditional heartaches. Plus – you can throw it all in the Mac trash can if you find it unbearable.

A wide variety of software was allegedly on display (the crowds prevented confirmation, but the road show was scheduled to have PhotoDeluxe, Avid Cinema, Family Tree Maker Deluxe II, Netscape Communicator, Kai’s Power Goo, Arthur’s Reading Race, Claris for Kids, Photo Deluxe, Cybersound Studio, Math for the Real World, Ultimate Power Mac CD-ROM, You Don’t Know Jack Movies, Quake, Web Workshop, Virtual Pool, and Street Atlas). The star, however, was clearly Mac OS 8: formally on sale the first day of the show, lots of people stopped by just to check it out.

The Apple road show included six kiosks, plus a miniature stage for presentations.

There were complaints, too: while people liked looking at the PowerBooks, and playing with the eMates, and experimenting with the various flavors of Power Macintosh 4400 and 6500, many of them wanted to talk about Power Macintosh 7300, 8600, or 9600 machines – and there were none in sight. Tyson’s Galleria is, after all, a gathering place for the Washington well-to-do, and the Washington well-to-do can never have too much power.

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