blaine@hobbes.ncsu.edu (Grey Mull) (11/09/90)
I am tired of the bookstore at my school not knowing anything about the
NeXT. They say they are going to carry them and that the prices will be out
"...any day now..." - well, that is what I have heard for 5 weeks now. So now
I have started looking into an old 68030 cube - it is a good deal.
Im just a little nervous about getting a "demo". But, if I get an old
cube and the upgrade board can I use my cube to the extent of a new one. I
know the old cube I was looking at only had a 40MB HD---what the hell is that,
a joke??? Can I use this machine for any reasonable amount of time before
getting a big SCSI drive?
Here are my options:
1 - Get a new '040 station with 105MB drive (delivery in about
two months) approx $3500.
2 - Get an old '030 cube with optical, 40MB for $3000
delivery tomorrow is possible! and upgrade it with
'040 first, then a bigger HD.
I heared there was some kind of fan, or dust problem with the old
optical drives - anyone care to explain this to me. Hey, I just dont want
my old '030' cube (if I get one) to be nothing but a doorstop to me - would it
be as reliable as a new one?
Also I want to be able to use a modem with my NeXT - will any old
external modem do the trick? - where do I get a good communication program
for the NeXT?
Thanx for all the help!!!!!!! NeXT could be the platform
for the nineties!! i hope
--
Grey Mull - The "Mull-Man" +--------------------------------+
Computer and Technology | "I don't believe in Beatles, I |
Theme Program - NCSU | just believe in me..." |
Internet: blaine@catt.ncsu.edu | -John Lennon |jacob@gore.com (Jacob Gore) (11/09/90)
I'm posting my reply because it's likely to be of interest to others. / comp.sys.next / blaine@hobbes.ncsu.edu (Grey Mull) / Nov 8, 1990 / > if I get an old > cube and the upgrade board can I use my cube to the extent of a new one. Yes, except that you may not be able to put an internal floppy drive into it. > I know the old cube I was looking at only had a 40MB HD---what the hell > is that, a joke??? It's for the swap area. The optical disk is the main disk in this configuration (or it could use an NFS server). > Can I use this machine for any reasonable amount of time before > getting a big SCSI drive? If you have the patience to work off the optical disk. I don't, but a friend of mine does. > Here are my options: > 1 - Get a new '040 station with 105MB drive (delivery in about > two months) approx $3500. > 2 - Get an old '030 cube with optical, 40MB for $3000 > delivery tomorrow is possible! and upgrade it with > '040 first, then a bigger HD. These two options aren't equivalent. Option 2 will cost about $6000 (with 300M to 600M disk), but you get a more flexible machine. If you want to do development, you'll probably want a larger disk for your slab too. > I heared there was some kind of fan, or dust problem with the old > optical drives - anyone care to explain this to me. If the demo cube has a fan that sucks air out of the cube, avoid it. It sucks dust through the optical drive, and the filter kit NeXT is now distributing now will be useless for it. If its fan blows air into the cube, the filter should help. My friend with OD-only (plus the 40M) machine has had no problems with the drive, and his fan blows in (and he has no filter). Mine sucks out, and I had to replace the OD drive twice in the 18 months I had the machine (and I have a third-party filter in the mouth of the drive).. > Hey, I just dont want my old '030' cube (if I get one) to be nothing but > a doorstop to me - would it be as reliable as a new one? Yes, if the fan blows in. Only the earliest machines had it going in the other direction. > Also I want to be able to use a modem with my NeXT - will any old > external modem do the trick? Yes. You may need to make a cable if you want dialing both in and out. For dialing out, a MacII cable will do. If you are buying a modem, consider a Class II FAX modem: they often provide 2400bps normal modem operation, and 2.0 comes with fax software. If you are looking for higher speeds, Telebit's Trailblazer 2500 (V.32 and 1800bps PEP) is a favorite. > - where do I get a good communication program for the NeXT? Don't know. I just use 'tip.' Jacob -- Jacob Gore Jacob@Gore.Com boulder!gore!jacob