cdelay@CIE.UOREGON.EDU (08/18/90)
Greetings-- I'm investigating the possibility of purchasing a NeXT for our student group, however I'd like to hear back from actual NeXT users on how well the machine performs at the UNIX level, which is what we'd be using it primarily for... I have heard that the system will slow down considerably if more than 4 users are attempting to use the system at the same time (we would be taking it as far as it could go for multiple logins). Basically how well the system works from the UNIX end (only about 2-3 people would actually ever use the console). Any and all information that you might feel is relevant to the question would be greatly appreciated, as well as any information you may wish to include regarding dealings with NeXT the company, maintenance problems/quirks, software problems/quirks/advantages, etc. Treat me as if I know very little about this machine, because I do know very little (but would like to know more). Many thanks, --Chris. (cdelay@cie.uoregon.edu)
declan@portia.Stanford.EDU (Declan McCullagh) (08/18/90)
In an earlier article, Chris (cdelay@cie.uoregon.edu) writes... > I'm investigating the possibility of purchasing a NeXT for our >student group, however I'd like to hear back from actual NeXT users on >how well the machine performs at the UNIX level, which is what we'd be >using it primarily for... It's your purchase, so I won't proselytize about the benefits of a graphics interface... But I expect that after you get it and use it for a while, you'll find out that a NeXT is useful as more than a glorified terminal (or UNIX host). >I have heard that the system will slow down considerably if more than >4 users are attempting to use the system at the same time (we would be >taking it as far as it could go for multiple logins). Basically how >well the system works from the UNIX end (only about 2-3 people would >actually ever use the console). As always, it depends on what users are doing. I think you'll find that a user on the console can take up to half of the available processor time - launching programs and running large Mathematica jobs, for instance. As for remote users, I find that the machine only slows down considerably during a compilation or when someone initially logs in. If nobody's on the console, I don't think that you'll find the machine to be unbearably slow, even with four or more users. Of course, you may want to get a faster NeXT when it becomes available... $-) >Any and all information that you might feel is relevant to the >question would be greatly appreciated, as well as any information you >may wish to include regarding dealings with NeXT the company, >maintenance problems/quirks, software problems/quirks/advantages, etc. Umm... I'd love to help, but that's a fairly broad request; after all, that's almost exactly what we've been talking about constantly on comp.sys.next. I think NeXT has a fantastic product and is a great company, but I am - after all - slightly prejudiced. Realistically, there are some less-than-sterling aspects of the current system, such as the serial port problem someone mentioned a few messages back - but I think they're far outnumbered by the positive ones. >Treat me as if I know very little about this machine, because I do >know very little (but would like to know more). If you'd like to know more, I'd suggest _The_NeXT_Book_ by Bruce Webster or _The_NeXT_Bible_. I have found some technical inaccuracies in the latter, and I don't think that most people would benefit from a listing of 'most every file in the v1.0 software distribution, so I'd probably recommend Bruce's book instead. It is a bit dated, though - so you should probably glance through both and pick which one better suits your needs. Good luck... -Declan ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Olympic Technologies / Registered NeXT Developers \ declan@portia.stanford.edu ------------------------------------------------------------------------------