🚀 go-pugleaf

dillon@overload.Berkeley.CA.US (Matthew Dillon) writes:

>In article <1992Oct23.214910.60088@cc.usu.edu> edx@cc.usu.edu writes:
>>
>>[...some invective about NeXT hardware...]

>    Actually, I'm kinda hoping they'll stop trying to design hardware since
>    the result is invariably costly and underpowered.  If NeXT concentrates
>    on software they will, hopefully, take the next step (:-)).. that is
>    not only fixing the bugs in the OS and adding new features, but also
>    bundling more software with the OS which in my view is the only way
>    they will be able to compete with the likes of Windows.

The result is not "invariably" costly and underpowered.  I'm not sure
about the cube, but the 040 boxes were definitely landmarks in terms of
affordable power.  The turbos were somewhat less exciting (although I'd
certainly not say no to a free one :~), but I fully expect great things
to come out of the NeXT hardware labs sometime early next year.  Call it
an article of faith, if you will.  I like my black hardware.

The costly aspect may start to become true once NS486 is released, and
hefty 486 systems start coming down in price; but until then, you'll have
a hard time matching a NeXT's performance, in terms of combined hardware
and software, in something that doesn't cost more.  The underpowered aspect
is more subjective.  It obviously depends on what you do.  I don't find
my 25MHz mono slab underpowered for what I do: personal productivity,
some page layout for a newsletter, mail, news, software development, and
general horsing around.  :~)

>    NeXT also needs to adjust it's attitude about mainstream printers,
>    modems and other peripherals.  Specifically, NeXT doesn't seem to want
>    to believe that something like the HP DeskJet exists.  If it isn't
>    postscript, it doesn't exist in NeXT's view and that really hurts them.
>    NeXT also has major problems with modem support, opting to support one
>    specific brand instead of writing more generic software.  It gets
>    people pissed off when they are forced to buy $1500 dollars worth of
>    equipment when an existing $300 HP printer will do the job as well with
>    much lower overhead costs.

This I could agree with, in general.  I think it would be valuable for a
good cross-section of basic peripherals to work out of the box.  It is
possible to acquire third-party drivers and so on, but that's not usually
what people want to deal with.  You want to run out, buy your Supra
faxmodem, come home, plug it in, and fax somebody.  At least, I do.

I think your specific printer example, though, is off the mark.  Nobody
is "forced to buy $1500 worth of equipment".  It's a choice.  And "an
existing $300 HP printer" will definitely not do the job as well.  I own
one, but it's purely a bottom-line dollar issue.  If money doesn't enter
the picture, then I'd have a NeXT laser in no time flat; it definitely
does a much nicer job.  That's why people buy laser printers for all
kinds of machines; none of them are forced into it, they prefer the
solution.

>    At the moment we have the situation where while NeXT's GUI runs circles
>    around everyone else's, the lack of primo bundled software turns people
>    away from investing it.  Things like Edit and Draw! are cute and all
>    that but provide almost no capability, and that's what users see.

A sign that the market is changing.  IBM clone makers have mostly caused
this "software bundle mania" since they have to find any possible way to
compete and differentiate their product.  In my ideal world, that doesn't
absolve users of the responsibility to investigate what capability a
machine has that doesn't already come in the box.  (Hey, that sounds the
opposite of what I said before about drivers.  Uh oh... :~)
-- 
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       Everything is IMHO          |   operating system, programs are easier
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