nick@cs.edinburgh.ac.uk (Nick Rothwell) (11/08/90)
Should I really add to this thread? No... Yeah...
I would buy a NeXT as my next computer if
(i) I could find one. I think there's a single dealer in the
UK, probably in London (the other end of the country).
Getting product information/pricing/software info is probably
next to impossible (but, that's what USEnet is for, to an
extent, and far more knowledgeable than most dealers). I
can find out about Macs, and get demos locally. I have seen
exactly one (1) NeXT, a couple of years back, in Princeton.
That's it.
(ii) UK price is less than stratospheric. (but hey, I paid for
a Mac...)
(iii) I could get support/maintenance. If my SE/30 croaks
tomorrow I can get it fixed within a day or so. If I had
a NeXT, ...
(iv) I could run top-notch MIDI sequencing software on it (such
as Performer or something equally good). Currently, zippo.
(v) It provided a good environment for developing and working
with MIDI applications, timecode, and so on, like Apple's
MIDI Management tools.
(vi) I could carry it over my shoulder and use it on stage for
concerts, etc. The SE/30's portability is a big win.
(vii) I could move material between home and work easily - no
problem with a Mac, floppies, AUFS/AppleShare.
(viii) NeXT stood a good chance of being in business for a while.
(i), (iii) and (iv) are currently big problems. (ii) and (v) I don't know
about. Certainly, Apple's MM tools are pretty good, since the Mac is a pretty
much (US) industry standard MIDI machine. Mind you, here in the UK, it's
pretty unusual (due to price). (vi) is a minor problem. (vii) and (viii)
are problems.
Should all of these problems resolve themselves when I'm ready for my
next machine, I'll buy one. Otherwise I'll keep buying Mac.
Technically, the NeXT looks superior in almost every way (from what I
know about it, not being able to find one here).
...just for those folks who say there's no good reason *not* to buy a
NeXT... ("sure, but where from?" says I...)
--
Nick Rothwell, Laboratory for Foundations of Computer Science, Edinburgh.
nick@lfcs.ed.ac.uk <Atlantic Ocean>!mcsun!ukc!lfcs!nick
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"Now remember - and this is most important - you must think in Russian."steve@violet.berkeley.edu (Steve Goldfield) (11/10/90)
In article <1598@skye.cs.ed.ac.uk> nick@lfcs.ed.ac.uk writes: >I would buy a NeXT as my next computer if > > (i) I could find one. I think there's a single dealer in the > (ii) UK price is less than stratospheric. (but hey, I paid for > a Mac...) > (iii) I could get support/maintenance. If my SE/30 croaks > (iv) I could run top-notch MIDI sequencing software on it (such > (v) It provided a good environment for developing and working > (vi) I could carry it over my shoulder and use it on stage for > (vii) I could move material between home and work easily - no > (viii) NeXT stood a good chance of being in business for a while. > >(i), (iii) and (iv) are currently big problems. (ii) and (v) I don't know I looked at the new NeXTs, and they had one very important feature lacking. Even though they share some programs in common with the Mac, they can't read and write Mac disks. With the price, performance, and features the NeXT offers, it seems to me that it provides a strong challenge to Macs. But someone like me with a lot invested in Mac files would only considering switching if I could bring my existing work along from the Mac and take it back if I wanted. I don't understand why the NeXT can read and write PC files but not Mac files. Seems like a big blooper to me. Steve Goldfield
josh@athena.mit.edu (Josh Hartmann) (11/10/90)
In article <1990Nov9.212726.11621@agate.berkeley.edu>, steve@violet.berkeley.edu (Steve Goldfield) writes: |> I looked at the new NeXTs, and they had one very important feature |> lacking. Even though they share some programs in common with the |> Mac, they can't read and write Mac disks. With the price, |> performance, and features the NeXT offers, it seems to me |> that it provides a strong challenge to Macs. But someone like |> me with a lot invested in Mac files would only considering |> switching if I could bring my existing work along from the Mac |> and take it back if I wanted. |> |> I don't understand why the NeXT can read and write PC files but |> not Mac files. Seems like a big blooper to me. |> |> Steve Goldfield You COULD save your files in PC format on your SuperDrive. Then you'd be all set with your NeXT. No, I don't have a NeXT, and I'm not getting one. But still.... Josh josh@athena.mit.edu