JTRQC@CUNYVM.BITNET (05/01/91)
The NeXT computer! Will the NeXT computer be a good choice for anybody looking for a computer syst m? Will the NeXT appeal to students that are not in college (grade school?) Will the NeXT try to replace the PC, MAC etc???? How easy is the NeXT to program??? Will There be any educational programs available? Will there be a joystick made for the computer??? (the NeXT game MacHine) :) Indeed, the NeXT does offer a wonderful package, but is it reasonable, will everybody (well almost everbody) want a NeXT in the next few years???? HOw about a NeXT with an 88000? call it THE NeXT GenEraTiOn. Well? can anybody answer these questions???
thomsen@spf.trw.com (Mark R. Thomsen) (05/04/91)
In article <91120.143430JTRQC@CUNYVM.BITNET> JTRQC@CUNYVM.BITNET writes: > Will the NeXT computer be a good choice for anybody looking for a computer > system? Yes. > Will the NeXT appeal to students that are not in college (grade school?) It can. We have an NSF-sponsored high school student coming in here after hours using the NeXT for some self-organization experiments (programming) and his report (desktop publishing). A few employee's children have played some games. > Will the NeXT try to replace the PC, MAC etc???? NeXT may eventually attack PC, Mac. They are currently going toe-to-toe with Sun, Dec, HP, IBM (RIOS) for more custom situations. More applications (1000's) and lower cost (a $1000 base machine) are required to compete with PCs and Macs in sales volume. > How easy is the NeXT to program??? Easier than a Mac or Sun, from our experience. > Will There be any educational programs available? There are commercial programs in the catalogs, programs on the net, and seemingly dozens in development. > Will there be a joystick made for the computer??? (the NeXT game MacHine) :) Don't know, but it would not be hard. Of course, we need a state-of-the-art flight simulator with network multiple user play too. > Indeed, the NeXT does offer a wonderful package, but is it reasonable, will > everybody (well almost everbody) want a NeXT in the next few years???? It is reasonable that most everyone will want the NeXT's features that their computer does not have (CD quality sound, superb display, etc.). Will they buy the machine to get those features and perhaps lose something they had? That is the real question for NeXT. > HOw about a NeXT with an 88000? call it THE NeXT GenEraTiOn. Or a MIPS R4000? I would anticipate that the delays with getting 68040 debugged and out might have a lingering effect. NeXT is not selling a CPU as much as a computer system. The CPU - as a means to an end - can be replaced if it helps them get the computer systems to the alter on time. Their software architecture gives them some flexibility. > Well? can anybody answer these questions??? Maybe :) Mark Thomsen
sherwood@space.ualberta.ca (Sherwood Botsford) (05/07/91)
JTRQC@CUNYVM.BITNET writes > The NeXT computer! Yes. > Will the NeXT computer be a good choice for anybody looking for a computer system? No. Users who must spend most of their time using existing Mac & PC software can find cheaper/better solutions in those machines. If, however you are willing to learn new applications, for the old jobs, and new applications for jobs you never thought of, or want the best of mac, pc and unix in one box, then the answer is Yes. > Will the NeXT appeal to students that are not in college (grade school?) I'm trying to figure out how to get NeXT to donate 20 to a local high school that I do volunteer work at. At work we have installed 10. The other machines collect dust, and act only as compute servers. You have to use a crowbar to separate students from the nexts. > Will the NeXT try to replace the PC, MAC etc???? I can only hope. It ought to, but much depends on NeXT's marketing savvy. > How easy is the NeXT to program??? Lotus did their new spreadsheet, Improv in only a few months. On PC's 123 took years. > Will There be any educational programs available? Already are. > Will there be a joystick made for the computer??? (the NeXT game MacHine) :) Don't know. > Indeed, the NeXT does offer a wonderful package, but is it reasonable, will > everybody (well almost everbody) want a NeXT in the next few years???? I watched at a Unix trade show last week. There were machines from IBM, Sun, SGI, DEC & Next. Next usually had more people playing with their machines than the other 4 displays put together. > HOw about a NeXT with an 88000? call it THE NeXT GenEraTiOn. I asked a Next Rep this one. "What about the rumour that the next NeXT will be on an 88000 series chip? Is there any truth to this?" He said, that yes, there was definately a rumour... > Well? can anybody answer these questions??? I doubt it.