The Clone Zone

If you read much in the way of computer-related media, you almost certainly know that Apple has licensed its MacOS to a few sundry companies, making it possible for these companies to sell Macintosh clones. As Macintosh users struggle to wrap our minds around the fact that in the future only a few super-savvy souls will be able to track all the currently available Macintosh computers, two companies – Radius and Power Computing – have risen out of the morass of possible licensees and announced concrete plans to ship clones in the first half (if not sooner) of 1995.

Radius — Radius has long made accelerator boards, video cards, and the like for the Macintosh, so it comes as no big surprise that they will be early clone makers. Apparently, Radius plans to offer several clones to help people push the speed envelope with desktop publishing and video. One such clone, dubbed the VideoVision Workstation, is intended as dream machine for people doing video on the Mac, and will ship with Radius/VideoFusion’s Radius Edit program, a program that video producers should find analogous to the higher-end systems they’ve been using for editing video. Radius Edit will also support QuickDraw GX fonts. Radius Edit will also ship separately in the first quarter of 1995 for around $1,000.

Power Computing — While Radius readies clones for the high end, Power Computing is putting together clones for the average user. Power Computing hopes to offer a highly affordable PowerPC-based clone, and (according to MacWEEK) to sell their clones through popular mail order houses, a procedure that makes sense to many involved, but not for Apple dealers or educational resellers who might like to share this piece of the clone pie. Power Computing may also sell Macintosh components to other vendors who would then create their own systems.

Don’t expect PowerBook clones any time this year, and my crystal ball fogs up completely when I ask when anyone outside of North America will be able to conveniently purchase clones.

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