🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Oct27.003825.20589@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu>  
robinc@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (Robert Delucca) writes:
> 
> 
> The real issue now is: 
> Is Next going to honor their customers and offer an upgrade

Now you know how Cube owners with opticals feel.

The NeXT hardware division seems unable to provide design choices in their  
hardware that plan adequately for the future directions.

1) The optical.
2) NeXTDimension (can you say ccube?)
3) ADB.
4) DSP (Will this die NeXT?).

Makes you wonder what will be orphaned when/if NRW is announced/ships.

I certainly applaud forward momentum--the question is what is NeXT's strategy  
for its existing customer base? What is the impetus for purchasing a NeXT if  
you know you will be orphaned in 3-6 months from purchase with NO ability to  
migrate to the new systems? Why not modularize the hardware design so that one  
could slide in a new CPU chip, new I/O {faster ethernet, serial ports, ADB  
etc.}, new video subsystem, etc. That way when the inevitable new stuff comes  
out I can upgrade my base hardware as appropriate. A slotted/socketed  
motherboard if you will. 

I hope Rich Page and company are pondering a strategy like this to keep the  
hardware division competitive AND responsive to the customer base. Its either  
that or just jump to the intel environment where this sort of thing is common.

I'd like to think his folks are just as smart in that arena if not smarter.

And while we are at it why no multiprocessor setup for the cube from NeXT? Its  
got slots USE THEM.
--
David Williams -- dlw@atherton.com -- NeXTMail welcome
	          dlw@netcom.com   -- NeXTMail welcome