Latest intelligence on the top-end Paris and low-end Aladdin Macintoshes expected from Apple Computer Inc – with March 4 the favoured launch date – is that the machines will appear respectively as the Macintosh II and the Macintosh ES, and the biggest switch from the information we gave on December 8 (CI No 579), is the the ES is now expected to use a 68000 rather than the 68020 because of some compatibility problem: it is still expected to be an integrated system with internal hard disk option and perhaps one co-processor slot; the Mac II is expected to offer the same three screen options – but the sizes have changed and are now suggested to be 12 or 20 black-on-white, or 17 colour – with the initial colour ROM handling only eight colours but due to be replaced quickly with one providing thousands; CPU to be a 16MHz 68020.
