wggabb@sdrc.UUCP (Rob Gabbard) (01/31/91)
After picking up NeXTWorld from Walden Software tonight and reading just the 15 page NeXT ad and the article on the NeXTstation, I am ready to sell my Amiga 2500 to raise money toward the purchase of the $4995 NeXTstation. Yes, I know I'm sacrificing color, upgradability and loads of software (all those games !!! :-) but what the hell - I'm getting a UNIX-based machine with what appears to be the most sophisticated development environment available. You see, I'm a UNIX diehard that spends his 8 hr. day pumping out X Window, HP Starbase 3D graphics and O/S interface code. Trust me though, XNeXT doesn't interest me - why drive a CHEvette when you have a CORvette readily available. However, before I leap I had better look. Can someone e-mail with any info they have on the following topics ? (These all apply to the $4995 config.) - How much is the 340mb disk option ? Is it an internal replacement for the 105mb disk or an external peripheral ? - The NeXT ad said that the NeXTstep development environment was available for the asking on the NeXTstation. Does this mean that its free ? Since the O/S takes up around 70mb (according to the article) how much does the development environment take ? - Is Mathematica bundled only with academic purposes ? - Can you print to PostScript printers connected via Ethernet or over Appletalk such as DEC LPS20s or Laserwriters ? - Does WriteNow have the option to output PostScript to a file rather than a printer ? This would allow me to upload the output to work for printing rather than having to buy a laser printer at home. - I've seem several horror stories about Businessland. Is there any other source for the NeXTstation in the Cincinnati area ? Thanks in advance, -- Rob Gabbard UUCP: uunet!sdrc!wggabb Technical Development Engineer INTERNET: wggabb%sdrc@uunet.uu.net Structural Dynamics Research Corporation
ice@wang.com (Fredrik Nyman) (02/01/91)
I thought this might be of general interest, so... > - How much is the 340mb disk option ? Is it an internal replacement > for the 105mb disk or an external peripheral ? It's internal, replacing the 105MB disk. I have a vague memory of having read here that NeXT now ships 400 MB disks for the same price since they had an unacceptably high failure rate of the 340 MB drives. The price difference between an 105MB and a 400MB configuration is around $2,500 by the way. You may want to get the 105MB configuration *and* an external SCSI drive. People have had (mostly) good things to say about Fujitsu 2263's and CDC Wren's, both of which cost less than $2,000 for *660* MB. This would give you 765MB disk space for less than $7,000. > - The NeXT ad said that the NeXTstep development environment was > available for the asking on the NeXTstation. Does this mean that > its free ? Since the O/S takes up around 70mb (according to the > article) how much does the development environment take ? You have to pay for the "Extended OS" floppy disk set, which costs about $100. The full OS 2.0 takes up ~200 MB. > - Is Mathematica bundled only with academic purposes ? Yes. > - Can you print to PostScript printers connected via Ethernet or > over Appletalk such as DEC LPS20s or Laserwriters ? I'll let someone with more knowledge than me reply to that. :) > - Does WriteNow have the option to output PostScript to a file rather > than a printer ? This would allow me to upload the output to work > for printing rather than having to buy a laser printer at home. > - I've seem several horror stories about Businessland. Is there any > other source for the NeXTstation in the Cincinnati area ? Although NeXT doesn't sell exclusively to OutofBusinessLand anymore, to my knowledge they have only signed resale agreements with a small number of Calif. dealers. You may want to check with a campus bookstore. They *may* be allowed to sell to non-students as long as they don't give educational discounts. :) Finally, you may want to call NEXT at 1-800-848-NEXT to get a products data sheet and a suggested retail price list. They can hopefully help you to find a good dealer. -- Disclaimer: Wang doesn't care about my opinions, so why should you? Internet: <ice@jasmine.wang.COM> <ice@wang.COM> <ice@emil.csd.uu.se> BITNET: <ice@DRYCAS> <ice@SEARN> <ice@SEQZ51> (in order of preference) USnail: Wang Labs, Inc., M/S 019-490, One Industrial Ave., Lowell, MA 01851
6600dadg@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu (Mark Dadgar) (02/02/91)
In article <b067bl.4z6@wang.com> ice@wang.com (Fredrik Nyman) writes: >You have to pay for the "Extended OS" floppy disk set, which costs >about $100. The full OS 2.0 takes up ~200 MB. My copy of the NeXT sales brochures tell me that the full OS software release is licensed to *all* NeXT owners, so you can either buy the "Extended Release" on floppy for a "nominal charge" or copy it from another NeXT owner. I think NeXT should be applauded for this policy. +-------------------+---------------------------+------------------+ | Mark Dadgar | 6600dadg@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu | Bill & Opus -'92 | +-------------------+---------------------------+------------------+ | From the dolequeue to the regiment a profession in a flash, | | But remember Monday signings when from door to door you dash. | | On the news a nation mourns you unknown soldier count the cost. | | For a second you'll be famous but labelled posthumous. | | Forgotten Sons. Forgotten Sons. | | - Marillion, 1983 | +----------Would UCSB write anything this intelligent?-------------+ -- +-------------------+---------------------------+------------------+ | Mark Dadgar | 6600dadg@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu | Bill & Opus -'92 | +-------------------+---------------------------+------------------+ | From the dolequeue to the regiment a profession in a flash, |
MJLEPPER@MTUS5.BITNET (02/03/91)
APPLAUSE APPLAUSE APPLAUSE APPLAUSE APPLAUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
bennett@mp.cs.niu.edu (Scott Bennett) (02/03/91)
In article <N67786.91Feb2103730@lehtori.tut.fi> n67786@lehtori.tut.fi (Nieminen Tero) writes: > >In article <8707@hub.ucsb.edu> 6600dadg@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu (Mark Dadgar) writes: > > In article <b067bl.4z6@wang.com> ice@wang.com (Fredrik Nyman) writes: > > [most of text deleted --SJB] > >You still have to pay for the 70! floppies, that the Extended OS comes 70!, eh? *WOW*!!! That's a *LOT* of floppies! Even more than *I* would have thought existed. :-) :-) :-) >on. The price I've heard for it was $125. BTW, you can copy the Ext.OS >from anyone who has one, ie. you in deed are licenced to the full >Ext.OS even if you buy the small HD NextStation. >-- > Tero Nieminen Tampere University of Technology > n67786@cc.tut.fi Tampere, Finland, Europe Scott Bennett, Comm. ASMELG, CFIAG Systems Programming Northern Illinois University DeKalb, Illinois 60115 ********************************************************************** * Internet: bennett@cs.niu.edu * * BITNET: A01SJB1@NIU * *--------------------------------------------------------------------* * "WAR is the HEALTH of the STATE" --Albert Jay Nock (I think:-) * **********************************************************************
dhg@sinix.UUCP (David Griffith) (02/13/91)
In article <8707@hub.ucsb.edu> 6600dadg@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu (Mark Dadgar) writes: >In article <b067bl.4z6@wang.com> ice@wang.com (Fredrik Nyman) writes: > >>You have to pay for the "Extended OS" floppy disk set, which costs >>about $100. The full OS 2.0 takes up ~200 MB. > >My copy of the NeXT sales brochures tell me that the full OS software >release is licensed to *all* NeXT owners, so you can either buy the >"Extended Release" on floppy for a "nominal charge" or copy it from >another NeXT owner. I think NeXT should be applauded for this policy. I know this is the theory, but I'd be very interested to hear if anyone has actually done this. My plan is to buy a 105 MB cube and the extended release on floppy. I rang the dealer in the UK to place my order. He spent a day "investigating" the possibility of getting the extended release on floppy and then rang back to say that it wasn't possible at the present time. It was only available on OD apparantly. He then tried to persuade me to buy a 400 MB cube. I rang NeXT in the UK and they told me the same: you cannot obtain the extended release on floppy at present. It seems there are bugs in the installation scripts. Of course, it's also in their interests to get you to buy the more expensive machines... Dave Griffiths
tgingric@magnus.ircc.ohio-state.edu (Tyler S Gingrich) (02/13/91)
In article <1991Feb12.164634.18390@sinix.UUCP> dhg@sinix.UUCP (David Griffith) writes: >In article <8707@hub.ucsb.edu> 6600dadg@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu (Mark Dadgar) writes: >>In article <b067bl.4z6@wang.com> ice@wang.com (Fredrik Nyman) writes: >> >>>You have to pay for the "Extended OS" floppy disk set, which costs >>>about $100. The full OS 2.0 takes up ~200 MB. >> >>My copy of the NeXT sales brochures tell me that the full OS software >>release is licensed to *all* NeXT owners, so you can either buy the >>"Extended Release" on floppy for a "nominal charge" or copy it from >>another NeXT owner. I think NeXT should be applauded for this policy. > >I know this is the theory, but I'd be very interested to hear if >anyone has actually done this. My plan is to buy a 105 MB cube and >the extended release on floppy. I rang the dealer in the UK to >place my order. He spent a day "investigating" the possibility >of getting the extended release on floppy and then rang back to >say that it wasn't possible at the present time. It was only >available on OD apparantly. He then tried to persuade me to buy >a 400 MB cube. I rang NeXT in the UK and they told me the same: >you cannot obtain the extended release on floppy at present. >It seems there are bugs in the installation scripts. > The extended release floppies can be ordered, I don't remember the part number off hand (e-mail me if you need it), but NeXT isn't actually producing them yet. I've had mine on order for awhile (List price is $130). I have successfully copied the pieces of the extended release that I need from another local NeXT owner. Tyler