crum@alicudi.usc.edu (Gary L. Crum) (05/29/91)
According to NeXT representatives at (800)848-6398, the NeXTdimension board is shipping. New (not already outstanding) orders for NeXTdimension boards are expected to be filled in four weeks. That, along with the first-come- first-serve policy, implies that outstanding orders will also be filled in four weeks. The status is the same for N7014-08 and N7014-16. Also of note is that the NeXTdimension board is shipping without JPEG compression hardware, but that the price of the NeXTdimension board includes (officially) JPEG hardware to be shipped in the future when it is ready. The cable for connecting a NeXTdimension board to a NeXT Color MegaPixel Display (either the N4001 17" or the N4005 21") is included with the NeXTdimension Starting Point Kit (N8527). But, a person at 800-848-6398 told me that NeXT might include the cable alone (at no charge?) with orders not including the NeXTdimension Starting Point Kit. I already bought one extra starting point kit -- I wonder if I should get another one, just for fun because they're priced so reasonably :-) Gary
crum@alicudi.usc.edu (Gary L. Crum) (06/11/91)
About a week ago a NeXT employee at (800)848-6398 told me that NeXT officially planned/promised to adhere to advertised specifications of the NeXTdimension board, and that NeXTdimension boards purchased now include a free upgrade in the future related to satisfying the advertised video compression feature. Today I found out that I was misinformed due to confusion of the office that handles the 800 number. In fact, NeXT does not promise that the current price includes any future upgrade to meet the full-video compression specification. NeXT would like to make that capability available but is not making a related commitment to current NeXTdimension customers, nor is NeXT changing the price of the NeXTdimension board because of the change in specifications. The NeXTdimension board is still quite interesting, but without the real-time hard-disk-data-rate video compression it is more appropriate to compare it to the $1000 RasterOps 364 video card for Macintosh instead of $100,000 Abekas A60 systems. From an application standpoint, anyway. A similar situation has to do with compatibility of the NeXTdimension board and the '030 CPU board. The real situation is that the NeXTdimension board can be used in NeXTcube/68030 computers (without the '040 upgrade), but only after adding a NeXTbus Interface Chip (NBIC) to the '030 board, and a power supply upgrade (N7029) is necessary, if the cube is old (according to serial number) and if a single-display configuration with sound box is desired. People at the 800 number simplify that (and sacrifice technical accuracy) by stating that NeXTdimension boards work only with '040 systems. I guess that (technical accuracy) is why Systems Engineers (SEs) are needed. I can understand the simplification, though, given the good '040 upgrade price. Anyway, one great new development is the NeXTedge service program. For products out of warranty, a "Next Day On-Site Extended Warranty" can be purchased, and the warranty that comes with new product purchases and warranties still in effect for previously purchased NeXT products are now handled in the same way as extended warranties -- next-day and on-site. The price list doesn't mention Motorola, and instead refers to "NeXT's Preferred Third Party Maintainer." Gary