mek4_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Mark Kern) (11/15/90)
Hi, just recently, I've been considering buying a computer for myself. My budget is around $3000, and I have access to student discounts. As such, I've narrowed my choice down to a Macintosh si or a colorless NextStation. I understand that the Nextstation offers much more hardware than an si, but my problem is related to my software needs. There are several things I want my computer to do : 1) wordprocess : I need a good wordprocessor with excellent footnoting abilities and a spelling checker. 2) program : I need to run LISP and some form of ANSI C for my programming classes. 3) sequence : I would like to use my computer for MIDI sequencing and electronic music. I am also interested in direct to HD recording systems. The Macintosh has Microsoft Word (my favorite WP), MacScheme, Think C, Opcode's Vision and Audiomedia. My question is whether or not the NeXT has or will have, in the near future, equivalent software. I would prefer to get a NeXTstation because of its price/performance ratio, but I have several worries : 1) availability : I plan to buy in January, and I've heard there are problems with the delivery of Nextstations. 2) software support : Can I really get the software I need soon enough? Will it cost me twice the cost of the Mac version? 3) Release 2.0 : I heard they dropped LISP from the package, and this would be bad for me. Can I still get it from an older cube and run it? Also, do I have the rights to obtain the software on the extended release OS for free? How about the documentation? 4) HD space : Is the 105 meg HD too small for practical use on a Unix system like the NeXT? Can I still run the Interface Builder and other tools off of floppy, or can I delete some stuff from the HD and run it from there. Is swap space a problem on the new machines? 5) sound : I know the DSP supports high fidelity sound, but just how many 'voices' can I play at once? Also, does the product Digital Ears enable direct to HD recording. If not, can I program it to do so, or do I need additional hardware? I would really like to buy a NeXT, but I can't if it won't do the things I want it too. If anyone can tell me where I could obtain the software I would need, I would appreciate it if you dropped me a line at : mek4_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu Mark E. Kern