IO92395@MAINE.BITNET (T.C.A.Venkatesan) (05/05/91)
Hi,
Just came across this here at the University of Maine. It seems that Apple
and the University have come to an agreement that Apple would make Macintosh
LCs and printers available to students in their rooms in the Dorms for a
semester for a prepaid small amount of money. They will be given software etc.
A lease kind of arrangement, I guess.
I think a similar thing can be done by NeXT as a great promotion campaign. They
may not want to lease NeXTs to students, but they could lease them to
Universities for faculty to use and to the industry, for an year or so. If
the company/Uinversity likes them, as they will, then they could pay the
remaining sum to NeXT and keep the machines. If not, NeXT could sell those
machines as Demos to poor students like some of us. This way NeXT could be
brought to the attention of a large number of people in the shortest period
of time. Hey, if the machine is in your office, you would use it, would'nt
you?
So what do you think guys?
How about it NeXT?
P.S.: If this kind of a thing is already going on, ignore this posting
obviously.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ **************************************
$ T.C.A.VENKATESAN $ *EMAIL : IO92395@MAINE.BITNET *
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ * VENKY@GANDALF.UMCS.MAINE.EDU*
**************************************
DEPT. OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY
UNIV. OF MAINE
ORONO, MAINE 04469.
********************************************************
* Disclaimer: I take myself seriously. Why should you? *
********************************************************IO92395@MAINE.BITNET (T.C.A.Venkatesan) (05/05/91)
Organization: University of Maine System
Date: Saturday, 4 May 1991 21:18:48 EDT
From: T.C.A.Venkatesan <IO92395@MAINE.BITNET>
Message-ID: <91124.211848IO92395@MAINE.BITNET>
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Publicizing NeXT
Hi,
Just came across this here at the University of Maine. It seems that Apple
and the University have come to an agreement that Apple would make Macintosh
LCs and printers available to students in their rooms in the Dorms for a
semester for a prepaid small amount of money. They will be given software etc.
A lease kind of arrangement, I guess.
I think a similar thing can be done by NeXT as a great promotion campaign. They
may not want to lease NeXTs to students, but they could lease them to
Universities for faculty to use and to the industry, for an year or so. If
the company/Uinversity likes them, as they will, then they could pay the
remaining sum to NeXT and keep the machines. If not, NeXT could sell those
machines as Demos to poor students like some of us. This way NeXT could be
brought to the attention of a large number of people in the shortest period
of time. Hey, if the machine is in your office, you would use it, would'nt
you?
So what do you think guys?
How about it NeXT?
P.S.: If this kind of a thing is already going on, ignore this posting
obviously.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ **************************************
$ T.C.A.VENKATESAN $ *EMAIL : IO92395@MAINE.BITNET *
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ * VENKY@GANDALF.UMCS.MAINE.EDU*
**************************************
DEPT. OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY
UNIV. OF MAINE
ORONO, MAINE 04469.
********************************************************
* Disclaimer: I take myself seriously. Why should you? *
********************************************************barry@pico.math.ucla.edu (Barry Merriman) (05/10/91)
In article <91124.215239IO92395@MAINE.BITNET> IO92395@MAINE.BITNET (T.C.A.Venkatesan) writes: >Organization: University of Maine System >Date: Saturday, 4 May 1991 21:18:48 EDT >From: T.C.A.Venkatesan <IO92395@MAINE.BITNET> >Message-ID: <91124.211848IO92395@MAINE.BITNET> >Newsgroups: comp.sys.next >Subject: Publicizing NeXT > >Hi, >I think a similar thing can be done by NeXT as a great promotion campaign. They >may not want to lease NeXTs to students, but they could lease them to >Universities for faculty to use and to the industry, for an year or so. >So what do you think guys? > Nah, I don't think so. I'm all for it if NeXT wanted to do it, but I don't think they could make any money on it. (1) Their factory only has a 100,000 machine/yr capacity, so that puts an upper bound on how much of this they could do, unless they were making money off the leases. (2) If they were making money off the leases, the leasing fees for 1 year would be near the price of the NeXT anyway (Academic). Bear in mind you need to lease the systems mostly as standalone, and so you need a Slab, 300MB drive, and a laser printer. You aren't gonna lease that kind of stuff for just $100/mo! Leasing entire networks would be too big a hassle for places that weren't committed to NeXT sys admin. (3) In a ``demo-lease'' mode, you can't expect the users to load up on NeXT software, since the NeXT may dissapear in a year. Thus NeXT would have to either bundle a lot of extra software (3rd party apps) that users would want, or leave the users stranded with useless machines (for someone who wants WordPerfect, that is). That wouldn't make them real popular. No, I think its too much hassle. Apple can get away with it, as their machines are cheaper (to build), and people will have access to software through more (illegal) channels. I think if a faculty is interested in a NeXT, they should just cough up the $5000 it takes to get a good standalone system. If they have any knid of equipment grants at all, that would be no big deal. Even if they used their own money it wouldn't be that bad. -- Barry Merriman UCLA Dept. of Math UCLA Inst. for Fusion and Plasma Research barry@math.ucla.edu (Internet)
philip@utstat.uucp (Philip McDunnough) (05/10/91)
In article <1991May10.003154.5601@math.ucla.edu> barry@pico.math.ucla.edu (Barry Merriman) writes: [Quotes comments on an Apple educational arrangement, does not view it as pratical for the NeXT( comments with which I agree)] >I think if a faculty is interested in a NeXT, they should just >cough up the $5000 it takes to get a good standalone system. >If they have any knid of equipment grants at all, that would be >no big deal. Even if they used their own money it wouldn't >be that bad. Hmm...equipment grants are one thing, but paying for it out of a faculty salary is quite another. Must be nice to be able to afford that. Philip McDunnough Professor, Department of Statistics University of Toronto [my opinions,...]
thomsen@spf.trw.com (Mark R. Thomsen) (05/11/91)
Barry Merriman writes
(1) Their factory only has a 100,000 machine/yr capacity, so
that puts an upper bound on how much of this they could do,
I calculated that the one production line there would crank out
200,000 machines a year in the condition it was in two years
ago. Is there some place where 100,000 was published? Also, a
'machine a minute' would put them in the 400,000 machines a
year capacity with the one production line and it sounds like
a good slogan. (This assumes modest preventive maint.).
Mark R.Thomsenscott@nic.gac.edu (Scott Hess) (05/11/91)
In article <1991May10.003154.5601@math.ucla.edu> barry@pico.math.ucla.edu (Barry Merriman) writes: In article <91124.215239IO92395@MAINE.BITNET> IO92395@MAINE.BITNET (T.C.A.Venkatesan) writes: >I think a similar thing can be done by NeXT as a great promotion campaign. They >may not want to lease NeXTs to students, but they could lease them to >Universities for faculty to use and to the industry, for an year or so. >So what do you think guys? > Nah, I don't think so. I'm all for it if NeXT wanted to do it, but I don't think they could make any money on it. (1) Their factory only has a 100,000 machine/yr capacity, so that puts an upper bound on how much of this they could do, unless they were making money off the leases. Until they are putting out enough to keep up with demand, this can wait. You might notice that NeXT's not been doing any sort of aggressive marketing - this is at least partially due to the fact that if they started getting orders for 100 machines/week, they'd not be able to fill them. What happens if the adds went well (like Data General's), and they start selling 200/week? Later, -- scott hess scott@gac.edu Independent NeXT Developer GAC Undergrad <almost out!> <I still speak for nobody>
glenn@heaven.woodside.ca.us (Glenn Reid) (05/13/91)
Scott Hess writes > What happens if the adds [sic] went > well (like Data General's), and they start selling 200/week? I'm sure they'd be quite happy to deal with a problem like that. They'll think of some way to handle it :-) -- Glenn Reid RightBrain Software glenn@heaven.woodside.ca.us NeXT/PostScript developers ..{adobe,next}!heaven!glenn 415-326-2974 (NeXTfax 326-2977)
mig@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Meir) (05/14/91)
In article <SCOTT.91May11134012@nic.gac.edu> scott@nic.gac.edu (Scott Hess) writes: >In article <1991May10.003154.5601@math.ucla.edu> barry@pico.math.ucla.edu (Barry Merriman) writes: > In article <91124.215239IO92395@MAINE.BITNET> IO92395@MAINE.BITNET (T.C.A.Venkatesan) writes: > >I think a similar thing can be done by NeXT as a great promotion campaign. They > >may not want to lease NeXTs to students, but they could lease them to > >Universities for faculty to use and to the industry, for an year or so. > (1) Their factory only has a 100,000 machine/yr capacity, so > that puts an upper bound on how much of this they could do, > unless they were making money off the leases. >Until they are putting out enough to keep up with demand, this can >wait. You might notice that NeXT's not been doing any sort of >aggressive marketing - this is at least partially due to the >fact that if they started getting orders for 100 machines/week, >they'd not be able to fill them. What happens if the adds went >well (like Data General's), and they start selling 200/week? Then I guess they'd just have to build a bigger factory and relegate themselves to the thought of being popular and a future leader in computing technology. Oh well. And I thought they WANTED their platform to be popular and have lasting impact! * * * * * * * ======================= Meir Green * * * * * * * * ======================= mig@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu * * * * * * * ======================= N2JPG
mcgredo@CS.ORST.EDU (Don Mcgregor) (05/14/91)
scott@nic.gac.edu (Scott Hess) writes: > You might notice that NeXT's not been doing any sort of > aggressive marketing - this is at least partially due to the > fact that if they started getting orders for 100 machines/week, > they'd not be able to fill them. What happens if the adds went > well (like Data General's), and they start selling 200/week? > I hope they're getting orders for more than 100/week. That translates into sales of only 5,200 units per year. At 100/Day, it's about 36,000, and at 1,000/week it's about 52,000. Steve wants to sell around 50,000 this year. But yeah, they need to get rid of their order backlog. I have mixed feelings about that: happy that they're selling a lot, sad that I may have to wait a few weeks for a new machine. Don McGregor mcgredo@typhoon.cs.orst.edu
scott@nic.gac.edu (Scott Hess) (05/14/91)
In article <1991May13.184528.2697@lynx.CS.ORST.EDU> mcgredo@CS.ORST.EDU (Don Mcgregor) writes: scott@nic.gac.edu (Scott Hess) writes: > You might notice that NeXT's not been doing any sort of > aggressive marketing - this is at least partially due to the > fact that if they started getting orders for 100 machines/week, > they'd not be able to fill them. What happens if the adds went > well (like Data General's), and they start selling 200/week? > I hope they're getting orders for more than 100/week. That translates into sales of only 5,200 units per year. At 100/Day, it's about 36,000, and at 1,000/week it's about 52,000. Steve wants to sell around 50,000 this year. Oops! I must have had some sort of integer-unit glitch there (I should have someone check the back of my head for a "Sample" designation). I meant those numbers to translate into 50k machines/year, not 5k machines :-). If NeXT is going to sell 50k machines/year, they've gotta get on the horn, though. They only claimed 8k for the first quarter (and those are even a little shakey - supposedly, 1500 were upgrades, not new machines). What if they announce a new machine later this year? Then everyone's going to wait until that machine to buy one. Later, -- scott hess scott@gac.edu Independent NeXT Developer GAC Undergrad <almost out!> <I still speak for nobody>
kls30@duts.ccc.amdahl.com (Kent L Shephard) (05/16/91)
In article <1991May13.182410.25876@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> mig@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Meir) writes: >In article <SCOTT.91May11134012@nic.gac.edu> scott@nic.gac.edu (Scott Hess) writes: >>Until they are putting out enough to keep up with demand, this can >>wait. You might notice that NeXT's not been doing any sort of >>aggressive marketing - this is at least partially due to the >>fact that if they started getting orders for 100 machines/week, ~~~~~~~ I think he means 1000/week. 100/week is noise and only adds up to 5000/year. They shipped more than that in the last couple of months. >>they'd not be able to fill them. What happens if the adds went >>well (like Data General's), and they start selling 200/week? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Again 200/week for NeXT is noise thats only 10000/year. More than they had orders for. > >Then I guess they'd just have to build a bigger factory and relegate ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Only when they surpass 100,000/year willthey need more capacity. The figure I read was that they could produce 100,000+/year this works out to be a capacity of ~2000/week. >themselves to the thought of being popular and a future leader in computing >technology. Oh well. And I thought they WANTED their platform to be popular >and have lasting impact! > > * * * * * * * ======================= Meir Green >* * * * * * * * ======================= mig@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu > * * * * * * * ======================= N2JPG -- /* -The opinions expressed are my own, not my employers. */ /* For I can only express my own opinions. */ /* */ /* Kent L. Shephard : email - kls30@DUTS.ccc.amdahl.com */