phd_ivo@gsbacd.uchicago.edu (09/29/89)
After reading about Apple's harddisk replacement policy for the common failure of their 80MB harddisk drive (i.e. if you have it for 4 months, you pay [~$800]), I am very happy to report that NeXT decided in my case, for the second time, to fix the laserprinter free of charge---despite my having gone 4 weeks over the warranty. I'll buy into NeXT anytime in the future over buying into Apple. The same day I heard about NeXT's decision, a colleague of mine ordered his own system---partly because of NeXT's attitude in my case. My one gripe is that (students listen) a one-year extended warranty is reputed to cost about $900. This is an awful lot for one of NeXT's target customers (students). Failure to give long or cheap warranties clearly signals that NeXT does not believe its hardware is reliable to new buyers. I think this is a pity, as I firmly believe in NeXT myself. Ivo Welch iwelch@agsm.ucla.edu phd_ivo@gsbacd.uchicago.edu
langz@asylum.SF.CA.US (Lang Zerner) (09/30/89)
In article <5572@tank.uchicago.edu> phd_ivo@gsbacd.uchicago.edu writes: >[...kudos to next re: their egalitarian approach to warranty service] > >My one gripe is that (students listen) a one-year extended warranty >is reputed to cost about $900. This is an awful lot for one of NeXT's >target customers (students). If you have been following NeXT's actions in the marketing and development areas and still believe that students are still NeXT's primary market, well, you aren't playing close attention. What vendors has NeXT signed on to develop for the cube since the original announcement (this would rule out, say, Wolfram)? Lotus, Frame, etc. -- the roster reads like the MS-DOS and Sun top 30 list (except for Microsoft. Heh). Point is, if NeXT is stressing business applications primarily, then businesses are a primary target. If they are not stressing academic/research applications primarily, then academia is not a primary target (would-be flamers note: I did *not* say that academia is not a target, just that it doesn't appear to be a primary one). >Failure to give long or cheap warranties clearly signals that NeXT does not >believe its hardware is reliable to new buyers. I don't know how long the standard NeXT warranty is, but if it is 90 days or more, it is plenty long. And, student financial hardships notwithstanding, $900 is not much to pay for a year's service contract. Businesses and research labs both pay ten-fold that amount for similar service on many similar systems. -- Be seeing you... --Lang Zerner langz@asylum.sf.ca.us UUCP:bionet!asylum!langz ARPA:langz@athena.mit.edu "...and every morning we had to go and LICK the road clean with our TONGUES!"
UH2@PSUVM.BITNET (Lee Sailer) (10/02/89)
In article <5831@asylum.SF.CA.US>, langz@asylum.SF.CA.US (Lang Zerner) says: > > >Point is, if NeXT is stressing business applications primarily, then businesses >are a primary target. If they are not stressing academic/research applications >primarily, then academia is not a primary target As an additional point, I don't think that NeXT ever meant "student" when it said "academic," though of course students could buy one if they wanted. They meant faculty and staff, for research, and labs for students networked with the faculty machines. Also, NeXT probably never meant to be a comp sci machine. When they said academic, they meant the Business and Chemistry and Mathematics and Spanish. To sell to these folks NeXT needs word processors, spreadsheets (for grant budgets and computing grades), database (for managing research data), statistical packages (for testing all those little hypotheses), and well integrated voice, image, and text in Email and applications. In other words, ACADEMIA is a BUSINESS, and most computing in academia (as measured by number of user hours) is business computing. lee
phd_ivo@gsbacd.uchicago.edu (10/02/89)
>Point is, if NeXT is stressing business applications primarily, then businesses >are a primary target. Agreed. I just wanted to emphasize that the occasional comments by students about the high price-tag of $6500+handling is not the end, at all. Note that for most of the quoted target group, the option is between buying an IBM or compatible system, with all the software, and a NeXT. Most IBM-like systems these days come with long warranties. Don't flame me, please: I bought a NeXT, obviously, so I prefer a NeXT. So, NeXT warranty is a factor. % I don't know how long the standard NeXT warranty is, but if it is 90 days or % more, it is plenty long. It would be long if NeXTs would rarely fail. Unfortunately, I have had two failures right into my fourth month of ownership (and I understand that failures are quite common around here). Let me immediately add that NeXT decided to pay for both of these failures. Still, running with a 90-day-only warranty is not a real option for a NeXT owner. % And, student financial hardships notwithstanding, % $900 is not much to pay for a year's service contract. Businesses and research % labs both pay ten-fold that amount for similar service on many similar systems. Does a single-user extended warranty for a similar system (i.e. a souped-up MSDOS computer) really cost as much per year as a new NeXT with 330MB Harddisk? Let me also add that I mis-quoted the $900 figure. It's $700 if you buy the warranty at purchase, and $1100 if you buy it after the purchase. ivo welch iwelch@agsm.ucla.edu phd_ivo@gsbacd.uchicago.edu
bill@bilver.UUCP (Bill Vermillion) (10/04/89)
In article <5831@asylum.SF.CA.US-> langz@asylum.UUCP (Lang Zerner) writes: ->In article <5572@tank.uchicago.edu> phd_ivo@gsbacd.uchicago.edu writes: ->> ->>My one gripe is that (students listen) a one-year extended warranty ->>is reputed to cost about $900. This is an awful lot for one of NeXT's ->>target customers (students). ->I don't know how long the standard NeXT warranty is, but if it is 90 days or ->more, it is plenty long. And, student financial hardships notwithstanding, ->$900 is not much to pay for a year's service contract. Businesses and research ->labs both pay ten-fold that amount for similar service on many similar systems. $900 is a bit much to pay in today's market, and more mfrs are giving 1 year. While not 100% comparable in price and power, my IBM-80, with 115 meg drive, and 2 meg memory, and mono display, cost me approx. $325 for 1 year on site maintenance. This is after the first year FREE warranty for carry in, or pay a $25 (no typo that is Twenty-five dollar) surcharge, and the first 1 year warranty is on-site. This is for a machine that discounts to about $6300. On site for a similarly equiped AT&T 386 box is about $400/yr. $900 is too much in today's market. (IMHO) -- Bill Vermillion - UUCP: {uiucuxc,hoptoad,petsd}!peora!tarpit!bilver!bill : bill@bilver.UUCP
dz@kiwi.ucsb.edu (Daniel James Zerkle) (10/05/89)
In article <89274.174058UH2@PSUVM.BITNET> UH2@PSUVM.BITNET (Lee Sailer) writes: >As an additional point, I don't think that NeXT ever meant "student" when it >said "academic," I beg to differ. Many years back (NeXT is four years old!), when Mr. Jobs was just starting things up, he fully intended to put out a machine at a price students could afford. I don't remember the price he was originally shooting for, but I do remember it as something I could conceivably handle, although it would be a sacrifice. I know it wasn't near $6500. I guess things got a little out of hand. Of course, for all the goodies you get in both hardware & software, $6500 is a real bargain. An external R/W optical drive by itself can cost $5,000. The display is probably worth a good $1500. Everything else is gravy. Unfortunately, just because $6500 is a bargain doesn't mean I can afford it. 'Twould be fun to take a NeXT home with me. | Dan Zerkle home:(805) 968-4683 morning:961-2434 afternoon:687-0110 | | dz@cornu.ucsb.edu dz%cornu@ucsbuxa.bitnet ...ucbvax!hub!cornu!dz | | Snailmail: 6681 Berkshire Terrace #5, Isla Vista, CA 93117 | | Disclaimer: If it's wrong or stupid, pretend I didn't do it. |