hodges@toaster.SFSU.EDU (John Hodges) (12/21/90)
Here is the latest that I have heard on Franz CommonLisp for NeXT. I spoke with Franz today, because I have been wondering how so many students will be able to purchase NeXTs and run Lisp. The answer appears to be that they will not. Pricing for academic use (virtually 100% of NeXT Franz market) is $750. per machine. They claim this is a deal. Oh sure, 25% of the cost of the computer for a single application is a deal. And if you believe that...Of course, if you can network your machine, and few students can do that or they would be on a network of someone elses machines, then you can buy a single copy (or you might have an upgrade path as many of us do) and put it onto a server. Nuff said about THAT option. So, what about other options? Are there any? Well, you could buy a site license, that's only $12,500. Oh, if you had $750. you'd go that way? Sorry. Hmmm, guess you're S.O.L. as they say. Want to lodge a complaint? Its called N.E.X.T., go get 'em. Franz is claiming innocence on this one, that they have to charge enough to get by. Of course, its not like they don't have people around the country using their product, and its not like they couldn't afford to put out a bare bones version of CL on anonymous ftp if the student could prove poverty. But hey, this is America, where students get screwed on a daily basis. And who is it that is using Franz the most, giving them the best reports of bugs? You say that NeXT and Franz are shooting themselves in the foot? What else is new? Jack Hodges, SFSU opinionated as usual