v075pcah@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Dinesh K Sukumaran) (09/19/90)
I am interested in purchasing a NeXTstation with the educational discount. Our University does not have any agreements with NeXT. So, how does one go about... any information is welcome. Thanks, --Dinesh v075pcah@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu
isbell@ucscf.UCSC.EDU (Art Isbell) (11/02/90)
I tried to email my response to you, blaine@hobbes.ncsu.edu, but it bounced, so pardon the net bandwidth use. In article <1990Nov1.220012.8613@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu> you write: > > Some friends and I are seriously considering NeXTstations - especially >since we have Ethernet (yes, genuine, BONA-FIDE E-net) in our dorm rooms. >We have many questions such as: > The quality of XNeXT. I don't have any experience with XNeXT, but a new port is currently in beta testing. I think it would be interesting to compare X with NextStep, but I'm sure you'll find that if you like to design and write neat apps with nice GUI's, X will be a nightmare compared with NextStep. NeXT has apparently decided to incorporate what they feel is the "best" technology currently available rather than what technology is most popular. This has pros and cons, but I decided to support quality in hopes that quality will win out. > What size drive to get - we may boot off other cubes on campus! I'd get the 105 MB and save some $$. You can boot off the 105 MB, but some of the bundled software won't fit also, But it will be available from other cubes on your ethernet and you have the right to copy what you want and save it on 2.88 MB floppies that the NeXTStation supports. > I am worried about the availability of software (reasonable $$$) I have been having fun downloading the large range of PD software available from several public archives. You will be able to do this from your dorm room via anonymous ftp to these archive sites that are all interconnected via the internet. More and more NeXT software is becoming available and a new mail order supplier, NeXTConnection, should provide discount prices. Your NeXT purchase will help more developers justify NeXT development or NeXT ports of their existing products. The NeXT development environment has already been shown to be so good that substantial time (= $$) is saved by developers, so their pricing can be more similar to PC pricing rather than workstation pricing. I don't think you should worry too much about future software availability. > Also, we will want to use our NeXTstations at home during the summer > is this feasible? I'm sitting at home as we speak now. My ethernet port is a virgin, but my modem port is very experienced. I have a 330 MB HD ('030 Cube) which I think you would eventually want for a standalone NeXT, but 3rd party HD's are dropping in price rapidly and can be had for a fraction of the price charged by NeXT, so you should consider an external HD as a future upgrade. Swapping floppies to load large apps would become tiresome, I would imagine. -- _____ ____ Art Isbell |\ | | | | \ 315 Moon Meadow Lane NeXT Registered Developer | \ | ___ |____| | | Felton, CA isbell@ucscf.UCSC.EDU | \ | |___| | \ | | 95018-9442 (408)438-4736(B) | \| |___ | \ |___/ (408)335-1154(H)