jimt@mullian.ee.mu.OZ.AU (Jim Trivellas) (12/14/90)
G'day, I have a few questions, and any help will be greatly appreciated. [1]. Is there a chance that NeXT may be available in Australia in the near future (like 1991/1992)? I've heard a few things about it, like "... once Motorola starts producing the '040 in large enough quantities ..." etc,etc. [2]. From what I can gather, the so-called "educational discount" seems to apply to anyone affiliated with an academic institution in the U.S. Like, even students can buy a NeXT for personal use, at a good price! Is this true? The reason I ask this, is because in Australia "educational discounts" apply only to purchases by academic institutions, for use only within the institution. (ie. even though I'm a full-time student, I can't get any reduction in price whatsoever. The net result being that students in Australia get ripped-off when they buy a computer system, when you consider that a NeXT costing $4000US in the U.S, may cost me over $8000AUS, with the exchange rate being $1US = $0.80AUS). [3]. If your answer to question 2 was "TRUE", then will the same policy be adopted in Australia? (PLEASE ???) Presently, only Apple offers Macs to students at reduced rates, via the University, and Microsoft does the same with some software packages. I'd like to see others follow this trend!!! Anyway, Thanks in Advance. See ya round, Jim Trivellas. PS. Is there a chance of seeing a RISC NeXT in the (near) future ??? =============================================================================== Jim Trivellas. Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering. School of Information Technology & Electrical Engineering. The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3052, Victoria, Australia. | | | ***** Telephone: +61 3 3446663 _______*************_______ Email: jimt@mullian.ee.mu.oz.au _|_____*****************_____|_ _|_|_____*****************_____|_|_ | | ________*************________ | | | | ***** | | | The SPID | ===============================================================================
bennett@mp.cs.niu.edu (Scott Bennett) (12/15/90)
In article <6272@munnari.oz.au> jimt@mullian.ee.mu.OZ.AU (Jim Trivellas) writes: >G'day, >I have a few questions, and any help will be greatly appreciated. > >[1]. [text deleted --SJB] >reduction in price whatsoever. The net result being that students in Australia >get ripped-off when they buy a computer system, when you consider that a NeXT >costing $4000US in the U.S, may cost me over $8000AUS, with the exchange rate >being $1US = $0.80AUS). The exchange rate above has a typo: it's backwards. Aus.$1.00 is approximately equal to US$0.80, so US$4000 is about Aus.$5000 (though grid only knows how much gets added on in the form of protectionist import duties and other sorts of middleperson fees. :-( ) > >[3]. [more text deleted --SJB] > Scott Bennett, Comm. ASMELG, CFIAG Systems Programming Northern Illinois University DeKalb, Illinois 60115 ********************************************************************** * Internet: bennett@cs.niu.edu * * BITNET: A01SJB1@NIU * *--------------------------------------------------------------------* * Visit the scenic Illinois Craters! Just 10 minutes * * from New Chicago! * **********************************************************************
goose@surf.sics.bu.oz.au (Ralph Schwarten) (12/17/90)
From article <6272@munnari.oz.au>, by jimt@mullian.ee.mu.OZ.AU (Jim Trivellas): > G'day, > I have a few questions, and any help will be greatly appreciated. > > [1]. Is there a chance that NeXT may be available in Australia in the > near future (like 1991/1992)? > Hi, I work at the Bond University on the gold coast. About 3 months ago I was going through the same "stress" as you :-) This is what I discovered from NeXT Inc. 1) NeXT will not sell direct to you in Aus. 2) You could apply to become a developer and get the machines at developer cost. You need to contact NeXT and ask for the appropriate forms. 3) Your University could apply for and execute a "Higher Ed Agreement". This entitles any staff or student of the institution to purchase a machine at student discount. The institution is required to buy at least one machine about $20,000 US worth of spare parts and send someone to the NeXT training camp in California for about $900 US. The Institution must also become a self sufficient support centre for any machines they sell, hence the spare parts. > I've heard a few things about it, like "... once Motorola starts producing > the '040 in large enough quantities ..." etc,etc. I don't know about that, buit NeXT told me they plan to set up a dealership of some sort in Aus *eventually*. They said they were too busy to consider the Aus market at present. With the new machines just starting to ship they will be even busier. > > [2]. From what I can gather, the so-called "educational discount" seems to > apply to anyone affiliated with an academic institution in the U.S. > Like, even students can buy a NeXT for personal use, at a good price! > Is this true? > > The reason I ask this, is because in Australia "educational discounts" apply > only to purchases by academic institutions, for use only within the > institution. (ie. even though I'm a full-time student, I can't get any > reduction in price whatsoever. The net result being that students in Australia > get ripped-off when they buy a computer system, when you consider that a NeXT > costing $4000US in the U.S, may cost me over $8000AUS, with the exchange rate > being $1US = $0.80AUS). > > [3]. If your answer to question 2 was "TRUE", then will the same policy be > adopted in Australia? (PLEASE ???) Through the Higher ed agreement you can buy machines at the US discount plus exchange rate differences and a little more for higher sales tax and freight. [stuff 'bout mac higher ed deleted...] My university was not willing to execute the higher ed agreement. A collegue and I sourced and purchased two second hand machines from various people in the states. I was lucky, my machine is almost barnd new and still in warranty. It ended up costing me less than half the price of a similairly configured Sun or Mac system (and that include the freight and 20 % sales tax !) Really good value for maoney !! Support was a bit of a worry. I was concerned when my motherboard failed due to a bit of misplaced static energy :-( So I phoned NeXT and had a new motherboard free of charge *3* days later. Incredible service !!! I doubt that a local dealer would have been prompter. Anyway, excellent machines buy one any way you can you won't regret it ! Cheers Ralph Schwarten Dept Comp and Info Tech Bond University Gold Coast Qld Co-founder First official Australian NeXT users group OzNeXT. email: goose@kirk.nmg.bu.oz.au > > Anyway, Thanks in Advance. > > See ya round, Jim Trivellas. > > > PS. Is there a chance of seeing a RISC NeXT in the (near) future ??? > > > =============================================================================== > Jim Trivellas. > Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering. > School of Information Technology & Electrical Engineering. > The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3052, Victoria, Australia. > | > | > | > ***** Telephone: +61 3 3446663 > _______*************_______ Email: jimt@mullian.ee.mu.oz.au > _|_____*****************_____|_ > _|_|_____*****************_____|_|_ > | | ________*************________ | | > | | ***** | | > | The SPID | > ===============================================================================