31 Jul
2013
31 Jul
'13
9:14 p.m.
The original Apple II case could be easily open by students and was not
suitable for school use. (It may not have had the proper UL approval.) The
dark Bell & Howell Apple II case was locked down and somewhat student proof.
Bell & Howell also knew how to sell projectors and other audio visual
equipment to schools everywhere. This is how Apple fortuitously stumbled
into the education market.
Michael Holley
-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org]
On Behalf Of Alexandre Souza
Sent: Wednesday, July 31, 2013 8:24 PM
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
Subject: Re: 16kb variant of the IBM 5150
Dealing with Board Of Education types required some
cunning.
One popular machine had som much difficulty selling to those types,
that they made a BLACK model, with latch instead of Velcro lid,
attached power cord, and sold through the primary projector supplier.
That way, a teacher running up against "policies regarding computer
purchase" could slip it past the budget committees as "AV equipment".
Just looks like Brazil! :oD And I don't have a Bell & Howell (or
something like that, I just don't remember) black apple :(
31 Jul
31 Jul
9:27 p.m.
On Wed, Jul 31, 2013 at 10:14 PM, Michael Holley <swtpc6800 at comcast.net> wrote:
The original Apple II case could be easily open by
students and was not
suitable for school use. (It may not have had the proper UL approval.)
UL doesn't "approve" anything. The Apple II was, however, "UL
Listed", which means that it was tested and certified to comply with
various safety standards. While it's obvious why one usually doesn't
want students to open the computer, doing so does not expose them to
any hazardous voltages.
Eric
10:07 p.m.
New subject: Black Apple (Was: 16kb variant of the IBM 5150
> The original Apple II case could be easily open
by students and was not
> suitable for school use. (It may not have had the proper UL approval.)
On Wed, 31 Jul 2013, Eric Smith wrote:
UL doesn't "approve" anything. The
Apple II was, however, "UL
Listed", which means that it was tested and certified to comply with
various safety standards. While it's obvious why one usually doesn't
want students to open the computer, doing so does not expose them to
any hazardous voltages.
It never occured to me that any of the changes could have been "safety"
related.
I just assumed that they were an over-reaction to potential pilferage,
and an automatic knee-jerk reaction of "you CAN'T let students into them!"
There doesn't seem to be any argument that the affiliation with Hell and
Bowel opened a LOT of doors, provided credibility, and bypassed a lot of
skepticism and "policies" about a non-traditional computer.
"any objections to the Math department's request for another $5,000 of AV
equipment?"
WITHOUT the B&H joint venture, would Apple have been able to really get
into the educational market? NOTE: school administrative decisions are
NOT based on technical merits.
--
Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin at xenosoft.com
11:47 p.m.
New subject: Black Apple (Was: 16kb variant of the IBM 5150
On Aug 1, 2013, at 1:07 AM, Fred Cisin <cisin at xenosoft.com> wrote:
The story I'd always heard was that it was safety-related, so the case had to be such
that it wasn't easily opened, and couldn't be powered on when it was open. The
Bell & Howell backpack models indeed do have a screw that simultaneously holds the
case lid down and completes the power circuit. It's not really particularly difficult
to open them, but it does serve the purpose of keeping one from monkeying around in there
when the power's on (unless you, you know, put the screw in without having put the lid
on, which is perfectly possible). However, the UL listing mark (standard 126Z) was on all
the regular Apple II and II+es as well once they started using the larger square labels
around early 1980 (white with green ink on II+es, red ink on IIs), so it wasn't a
matter of simply getting any old "UL listed" status. The Bell & Howell
overlaid label (which I think corresponds to having the backpack, and hence the power/open
protection) had a UL listing standard 20G6 and so there may be something in the difference
between the standards (presumably by some policy, perhaps only one internal to Bell &
Howell about what they'd sell to schools), though my 5 minutes of Googling did not
yield any reference information that relates to what might differentiate those standards.
-Paul
> The
original Apple II case could be easily open by students and was not
> suitable for school use. (It may not have had the proper UL approval.)
On Wed, 31 Jul 2013, Eric Smith wrote:
UL doesn't "approve" anything. The
Apple II was, however, "UL
Listed", which means that it was tested and certified to comply with
various safety standards. While it's obvious why one usually doesn't
want students to open the computer, doing so does not expose them to
any hazardous voltages.
It never occured to me that any of the changes could have been "safety"
related.
I just assumed that they were an over-reaction to potential pilferage,
and an automatic knee-jerk reaction of "you CAN'T let students into them!"
1 Aug
1 Aug
8:39 a.m.
New subject: Black Apple (Was: 16kb variant of the IBM 5150
Apple and Bell & Howell Enter Education Market
InfoWorld July 18, 1979 page 1
http://books.google.com/books?id=FT4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1
Apple Computer Company, Inc. , has announced an agreement with Bell & Howell
Company in which Bell & Howell will market a specially designed Apple II
personal computer system.
Bell & Howell's initial efforts will be in the field of education, in which
the use of personal computers for instruction is growing rapidly. Industry
sources project that annual sales to the education market will reach in
excess of $400 million for personal computer hardware, and another $2
billion by 1982.
The modified Apple will be a sturdier version with added security elements,
such as a tamper-proof cover and theft protection features. The changes will
be cosmetic; inside, it will be a standard Apple II, a spokesman said.
Apple's Mike Markkula commented that Bell cl Howell's distribution network
and leadership role in marketing to educators offers Apple Computer
substantial access to markets difficult for retail-oriented companies to
penetrate. "These strengths, combined with what we've learned about the
needs of the educator, will give Apple and Bell & Howell a strong edge in a
vital market," he said.
Note: InfoWorld was called Intelligent Machines Journal then and the
publisher was Jim Warren. He started this newspaper to publicize his
Computers Fairs.
Michael Holley
-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org]
On Behalf Of Fred Cisin
Sent: Wednesday, July 31, 2013 10:08 PM
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
Subject: Black Apple (Was: 16kb variant of the IBM 5150
It never occured to me that any of the changes could have been "safety"
related.
I just assumed that they were an over-reaction to potential pilferage, and
an automatic knee-jerk reaction of "you CAN'T let students into them!"
There doesn't seem to be any argument that the affiliation with Hell and
Bowel opened a LOT of doors, provided credibility, and bypassed a lot of
skepticism and "policies" about a non-traditional computer.
"any objections to the Math department's request for another $5,000 of AV
equipment?"
WITHOUT the B&H joint venture, would Apple have been able to really get
into the educational market? NOTE: school administrative decisions are
NOT based on technical merits.
4161
days inactive
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