[comp.sys.mac.misc] Software and NeXT

ls1i+@andrew.cmu.edu (Leonard John Schultz) (10/16/90)

On 15-Oct-90 in Software                     
user estes brian r@unicorn.cc writes:
>Don't forget about 1/1000th the software.
> 
>Not that I don't want a NeXTstation, because I would love to have one
>IN ADDITION to my Mac.
> 
Not the case.  You obviously haven't seen the Software and Periferals
Catalog for NeXT.  There are hundreds of big names producing software
that previously you could only find on the mac.  Every program that I
really use on my mac I can also get for the NeXT (example: SoftPC. I
can't imagine how fast that would be).  Plus lots of shareware archived
on several ftp servers that I know of.

Like I keep saying, there is no good argument (besides personal
preference) against NeXT.  And there are many arguments for it.

cummings@milton.u.washington.edu (Michael Cummings) (10/16/90)

In article <0b6Z=C200WBK83mlAX@andrew.cmu.edu> ls1i+@andrew.cmu.edu
(Leonard John Schultz) writes:

>Like I keep saying, there is no good argument (besides personal
>preference) against NeXT.  And there are many arguments for it.

How about PRICE?  You can buy a new car for what the NeXT will run ya. :)



-- 
Michael Cummings
cummings@milton.u.washington.edu
"Math is math becomes physics (sorta)."  -  The Great Perfesser

ls1i+@andrew.cmu.edu (Leonard John Schultz) (10/16/90)

On 16-Oct-90 in Re: Software and NeXT        
user Michael Cummings@milton. writes:
>>Like I keep saying, there is no good argument (besides personal
>>preference) against NeXT.  And there are many arguments for it.
> 
>How about PRICE?  You can buy a new car for what the NeXT will run ya. :)

How can anyone complain about the price of a NeXT if they had ever
bought a mac.  $5000 retail ($3179 here at CMU) is a VERY CHEAP price. 
For a 15 VAX MIPS machine.  

What kind of mac can you get at that price?  What price would you have
to pay for a mac with similar performance?

Hell, you'd have troubles finding a used Hyundai for $3200.  Or a used
MacII for that matter.

starta@tosh.UUCP (John Starta) (10/17/90)

cummings@milton.u.washington.edu (Michael Cummings) writes:

> How about PRICE?  You can buy a new car for what the NeXT will run ya.
> :)

Can you really? I think you would be hard pressed to find a quality car
(Acura, for instance) for equal green. And if by chance you have some
secret source by which you could buy a new car for the street price of
a NeXT, I should also remind you that the same can be said for our own
pride and joy: the Macintosh.

John

rfischer@Neon.Stanford.EDU (Raymond C. Fischer) (10/17/90)

>>>Like I keep saying, there is no good argument (besides personal
>>>preference) against NeXT.  And there are many arguments for it.
>>How about PRICE?  You can buy a new car for what the NeXT will run ya. :)
>bought a mac.  $5000 retail ($3179 here at CMU) is a VERY CHEAP price. 
>For a 15 VAX MIPS machine.  

I believe that this is 15 of the 68000 MIPS.  The 68040 chip is very fast,
requiring only about 1.4 clock cycles on average to execute a 680x0
instruction.  Hence, the 25MHz 68040 in the NextStation can do 15MIPS.
Other comparisons?  Floating point multiply takes 50~60 clocks on
a 68882 and about 5 on a 68040.  When Apple starts selling 68040 based
Macs, even the IIfx will start to look slow.

Ray Fischer
rfischer@neon.stanford.edu

nilesinc@well.sf.ca.us (Avi Rappoport) (10/17/90)

In article <0b6Z=C200WBK83mlAX@andrew.cmu.edu> ls1i+@andrew.cmu.edu (Leonard John Schultz) writes:
>On 15-Oct-90 in Software                     
>user estes brian r@unicorn.cc writes:
>>Don't forget about 1/1000th the software.
>> 
>Not the case.  You obviously haven't seen the Software and Periferals
>Catalog for NeXT.  There are hundreds of big names producing software
>that previously you could only find on the mac.  Every program that I


Some of the software in that catalog is shipping "Real Soon Now".  I 
assumed it was real too, until one of my friends admitted that their 
product, pictured in the catalog, was not even in beta test!

(extra spaces left to appease news nanny)

-- 
--  Help me justify my online bills: ask me EndNote questions, please!  --
Avi Rappoport                               2000 Hearst, Berkeley, CA 94709
nilesinc@well.sf.ca.us,                                        415-655-6666
Niles.Assoc on AppleLink    		    	          fax: 415-649-8179                 

nick@cs.edinburgh.ac.uk (Nick Rothwell) (10/17/90)

In article <0b6Z=C200WBK83mlAX@andrew.cmu.edu>, ls1i+@andrew.cmu.edu (Leonard John Schultz) writes:
> Not the case.  You obviously haven't seen the Software and Periferals
> Catalog for NeXT.  There are hundreds of big names producing software
> that previously you could only find on the mac.  Every program that I
> really use on my mac I can also get for the NeXT (example: SoftPC. I
> can't imagine how fast that would be). 

Not the ones I use, though (MIDI sequencing software).

> Like I keep saying, there is no good argument (besides personal
> preference) against NeXT.

	i.	I can't buy one here.

	ii.	I can't get support.

-- 
Nick Rothwell,	Laboratory for Foundations of Computer Science, Edinburgh.
		nick@lfcs.ed.ac.uk    <Atlantic Ocean>!mcsun!ukc!lfcs!nick
~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~
 "Now remember - and this is most important - you must think in Russian."

tjc@castle.ed.ac.uk (A J Cunningham) (10/17/90)

In article <683@skye.cs.ed.ac.uk> nick@lfcs.ed.ac.uk writes:
>In article <0b6Z=C200WBK83mlAX@andrew.cmu.edu>, ls1i+@andrew.cmu.edu (Leonard John Schultz) writes:
>> Like I keep saying, there is no good argument (besides personal
>> preference) against NeXT.

>	i.	I can't buy one here.

	Bzzzt. Wrong answer. Computerland are UK dealers for the NeXT
range. They even have a store in Edinburgh.

>	ii.	I can't get support.

	I assume if Computerland sell the machine they will support it.
Can't say for sure though.

Tony



-- 
Tony Cunningham, Edinburgh University Computing Service. tjc@castle.ed.ac.uk

		If a man among you has no sin upon his hand
	    Let him throw a stone at me for playing in the band.

philip@yunexus.yorku.ca (Phil McDunnough) (10/18/90)

In article <683@skye.cs.ed.ac.uk> nick@lfcs.ed.ac.uk writes:
>In article <0b6Z=C200WBK83mlAX@andrew.cmu.edu>, ls1i+@andrew.cmu.edu (Leonard John Schultz) writes:
>> Not the case.  You obviously haven't seen the Software and Periferals
>> Catalog for NeXT.  There are hundreds of big names producing software
>> that previously you could only find on the mac.  Every program that I
>> really use on my mac I can also get for the NeXT (example: SoftPC. I
>> can't imagine how fast that would be). 
>
>Not the ones I use, though (MIDI sequencing software).

Well you obviously haven't seen the catalog then. Let me see, on p.192 there
is a program called First Chair, Version1.0 . It is slated for 1st quarter 91.
In particular it will do advanced sequencing( and much more).

Philip McDunnough
University of Toronto->philip@utstat.toronto.edu[or here]
[my opinions]

kenh@hscfsas1.harvard.edu (Ken Hancock) (10/18/90)

In article <9329@milton.u.washington.edu> cummings@milton.u.washington.edu (Michael Cummings) writes:
>In article <0b6Z=C200WBK83mlAX@andrew.cmu.edu> ls1i+@andrew.cmu.edu
>(Leonard John Schultz) writes:
>
>>Like I keep saying, there is no good argument (besides personal
>>preference) against NeXT.  And there are many arguments for it.
>
>How about PRICE?  You can buy a new car for what the NeXT will run ya. :)
>
How about PRICE?  Have you checked out list prices recently?  An equivalent
Mac system is much more than the NeXT!  Now don't get me wrong, I'll take the
mac over the NeXT any day (I do enjoy using software on machines I buy...)
and the NeXT definitely has some flaws, but price is not one of them.

Ken

Ad


-- 
Ken Hancock                   | INTERNET: kenh@hscfsas1.harvard.edu 
Isle Systems                  | Disclaimer: My opinions are mine,  
Macintosh Consulting          | your opinions are yours.  Simple, isn't it?

ls1i+@andrew.cmu.edu (Leonard John Schultz) (10/19/90)

On 17-Oct-90 in Re: Software and NeXT        
user Nick Rothwell@cs.edinbur writes:
>In article <0b6Z=C200WBK83mlAX@andrew.cmu.edu>, ls1i+@andrew.cmu.edu
(Leonard J
>ohn Schultz) writes:
>> Not the case.  You obviously haven't seen the Software and Periferals
>> Catalog for NeXT.  There are hundreds of big names producing software
>> that previously you could only find on the mac.  Every program that I
>> really use on my mac I can also get for the NeXT (example: SoftPC. I
>> can't imagine how fast that would be). 
> 
>Not the ones I use, though (MIDI sequencing software).
> 
>> Like I keep saying, there is no good argument (besides personal
>> preference) against NeXT.
> 
>	i.	I can't buy one here.
> 
>	ii.	I can't get support.

I am summarizing this out of the Software and Peripherals Catalog.
 
FirstChair, Version 1.0
Imagine, Inc.
 
FirstChair is a new, advanced MIDI and sound sequencer that takes full
advantage of NeXT computers.  .....
...FirstChair integrates MIDI, direct-to-disc CD-quality sound
recordings, and animations to create multimedia sequences.  FirstChair
accepts and generates Standard MIDI files, scorefiles, TIFF, EPS.  Cut,
copy, and paste supported. ....
...FirstChair sequences can be controlled by graphically edited tempo
maps or synchronized to SMPTE via a SMPTE-to-MIDI Time Code
converter.... blah, blah, blah. 
 
Does this sound like what you want?

Imagine, Inc.
32 North Washington,
Suite 14
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
(313)487-7117

Give them a call to get the complete story!

What do you mean by you can't get support?  Does your campus not support
NeXT?  If not, there is a company called NeXT that does.

rwt@ohm.york.ac.uk (Richard Taylor) (10/20/90)

in article <6730@castle.ed.ac.uk>, tjc@castle.ed.ac.uk (A J Cunningham) says:
> 	I assume if Computerland sell the machine they will support it.
> Can't say for sure though.
> 
> Tony

Having talked to Computerland and had demos, the NEXT looks very nice, but I
would be very unsure of continuing support - we decided to stick to our boring
mix of Sun, Mips and Apple on that basis.

Richard
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