🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Nov11.130626.1586@fwi.uva.nl> schaper@fwi.uva.nl (Lancelot  
Schaper) writes:
..
> 
> - I need MIDI ports and the software like Steinberg's Cubase.
> 
It is said, that in this respect the Mac or even the Atari ST/TT is a  
better choice. But of course, if you need a fast machine, Atari is out of  
the game and the Mac is to expensive.

Carsten

In article <1992Nov11.130626.1586@fwi.uva.nl> schaper@fwi.uva.nl (Lancelot  
Schaper) writes:
> I'd like to thank all of you who reacted earlier.
> I found out the following things:
> 
> 	1] I must not buy the NC/ND combination, but the Next color turbo
> 	   instead.
> 	2] NeXT will not fade away in the coming years, that pleases me!
> 	3] I sould look for the NextStep 486
> 	4] Everybody agrees that the NeXT software beats the Mac's
> 	5] There's enough software, as long if you don't want CAD
> 	6] NeXT should be the best choice
> 
> Well I'm glad that everybody told me the same stuff, so I must take it for
> facts. Most people asked me what apps I would like to run, so I post them
> here.
> 
> - First of all I like to run graphical apps.
>   I want to make animations, and I need the video I/O ports.
>   I also need the 32 bits color, but that's not the _most_ important thing.

	Graphic apps for still images are no problem, the NeXT has DPS, the  
best Postscript drawing program (Illustrator on the NeXT), and a new stock of  
DTP programs. However, animation, rendering, modeling, and editing are less  
clear. There are products out, and now RenderMan is supported, but it's hard to  
do good work with these at the speed of a Turbo Color (real time animations  
with sound syncing are a problem). Currently, there is no upgrade path for a  
Turbo Color (it has no slots), so the ND would be the logical choice, although  
this conflicts with [1].

> - I will use it for lots of DTP work, so I really need the 21'' monitor.

	The 21" monitor is the same resolution as the 17", so you won't be able  
to display two WYSIWYG (i.e. 92dpi) pages on the screen at once. : (

> - I need MIDI ports and the software like Steinberg's Cubase.

	Sequencing and composing software are coming around, although there  
still isn't a program with the established base and verstality of Finale on the  
Mac. The DSP makes music work much easier, but it hasn't been used as well as  
it could be.

> - It has to be real fast -This seems not to be a problem, I guess-

	Well, how fast and in what manner (i.e. computation, graphics,  
animation, multitasking, ray-tracing)? NeXTs are slow for UNIX workstations (a  
Turbo Color is 14.6 SPEC89s [for 32MB RAM and 400MB HD]). However, do you need  
it fast for animation and graphics only, or are you also doing heavy  
computational work (ray-tracing most notably).

	[stuff deleted... ]

	It doesn't sound to me as if a Turbo Color will suit your needs. If you  
need a fast graphics workstation, you should be looking at Silicon Graphics,  
Inc. (SGI) Iris, Indigo, or Crimson Personal series worstations. The NeXT is  
well suited for the occasional use of a graphics and animation as implemented  
in a business oriented environment, but lacks the power or reliable base of a  
full blown graphical workstation. However, an SGI is a big step up from a Turbo  
Color (i.e. they start around $10,000 for the box alone), so the price may  
limit this option. 	
	Try to analyze your specific needs in both a qualitative and  
quantitative manner. What I mean by this is, determine both how fast it must be  
(or other similar requirements), and also what types of specific uses will it  
be implemented for. How high quality need your animations be? Is this for video  
editing of production quality? Will ray tracing be used often, little, or  
never? Is a Tuplex server an option (does the price of one negate this as an  
option)? There are many other questions, but a serious yes to any of these  
would negate the feasability of a Turbo Color (unless you have a small net of  
them with graphics servers and render servers [or so I think, anyone else?]). A  
NeXTcube with NeXTdimension board is more up your alley, but it looms in an  
uncertain future.
	

--
Robert Seymour				rseymour@reed.edu
Departments of Physics and Philosophy	(NeXTmail accepted)
Artificial Life Project			Reed College
Reed Solar Energy Project (SolTrain)	Portland, OR

In article <1drb9eINNd9v@mailgzrz.TU-Berlin.DE> carsten@pizza.fb10.tu-berlin.de (Carsten Schultz) writes:
>In article <1992Nov11.130626.1586@fwi.uva.nl> schaper@fwi.uva.nl (Lancelot  
>Schaper) writes:
>..
>> 
>> - I need MIDI ports and the software like Steinberg's Cubase.
>> 
>It is said, that in this respect the Mac or even the Atari ST/TT is a  
>better choice. But of course, if you need a fast machine, Atari is out of  
>the game and the Mac is to expensive.

The Mac is not 'to' [sic] expensive. As I posted just a little while
ago onto C.S.M.A., look at this comparison (based on new prices using
the educational discount at UCD):

>NeXTstation Turbo Color                          $5 266
>w/ 16MB RAM, 250 MB Hard Drive
>(Comes with keyboard and mouse) (Not at UCD)     $  179
>17" NeXT Colour Monitor                          $1 825
>Total with 17" Monitor                           $7 260
 
VS.

Quadra 700, 4MB Ram, No HD                        $3 327
Add 4MB Ram, 1.5MB VRAM                           $  400
Keyboard                                          $  159
Add 240MB Hard Drive                              $  649 
Apple 16" Color Monitor                           $1 144
Total:                                            $5 679

Your requirements were:
> - First of all I like to run graphical apps.
>   I want to make animations, and I need the video I/O ports.
>   I also need the 32 bits color, but that's not the _most_ important thing.

Animations: The Mac has software as good as the NeXT, with more
available video in/out options (but the NeXTDimension probably
beats all of them hands down, IF you feel comfortable with it,
considering many NeXT advocates seem to say it has a dim future.
The Mac as equal quality MIDI solutions.
The Mac has Adobe Illustrator, which another posting claimed was
the best program for DTP.
Color: The Mac has 24 bit color, which most people are satisfied with
in graphical applications.

>- I will use it for lots of DTP work, so I really need the 21'' monitor.
Mac has less, same, or more resolution available than the NeXT,
depending on cost. The Mac also supports multiple monitors while
a NeXTStation does not (but you can get a cube for yet more $ that
does, I believe).

The NeXT has the better UI (IMHO), OS (IMHO), programming environment
(INearlyEverybody'sHO).

Conclusion: NeXT is better in certain areas, the Mac is just or nearly as
good in your application areas. NeXT costs more, smaller installed
base (so less hardware, software options).

"Anti-Viral Software? Nah, I'm careful enough"     ______-==-______
                                       ____-------=----------------=-------____
                 ________________  _ _-    --------________________--------
                (______________(_||_) _______ /
                   /_____/_____            _-
Ex-Capt David Putzolu          \__________-
U.S.S. Yamato
Senior, CS & Psych, U.C.Davis - putzolu@cs.ucdavis.edu - my opinion

You should not be comparing NeXTStation Turbo Color with Quadra 700.
You should compare it with Quadra 900. Turbo and 900 both have 33MHz
68040, 700 has 25MHz. To account for all costs add price of Mathematica,
C-Compiler + Software development tools, and Textures for MAC. If you
still find MAC to be cheaper than NeXT we would like to hear from you.

				- Sridhara