🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Apr14.122450.2859@ecsvax.uncecs.edu> jfreem@ecsvax.uncecs.edu  
(Joe Freeman) writes:

> Not true.  NeXT is about the only workstation company that
> does sell a $5K computer.  The minimal system is useable
> and is adequate for certain problem areas.  Though,
> larger configurations are better.  Most workstations
> come diskless or  ramless at the entry price (oh boy I can
> see all the email coming in  at how everyone's favorite
> computer doesn't come that way) 

The above indicates to me that some NeXT folks have begun
believing their own marketing BS, which I think is a sad
state of affairs. 

This fantasy of the $5K NeXTstation (8 MB RAM, 105 MB HD)
being adequate as a stand-alone system for little more
than editing text files must be stamped out once and for
all.

The current cost of 16 MB of RAM (4x4MB) is no greater
than the cost of 8 MB RAM (8x1MB) when the NeXTstation was
first announced, so there is no financial reason not to
upgrade all new "basic" NeXTstations sold to 16 MB RAM.  

I don't have information about the variance over time of
HD prices, but I think they have dropped in cost, although
not nearly as dramatically as memory prices.  If NeXT
would use the 250 MB HD in the "basic" NeXTstation, the
stand-alone user would truly have a "basic" NeXT on which
they could use neat (and large) TIFF and EPS files, which
after all are a big part of the original reason to use a NeXT
vs. another box. 

I say, give us a NeXTstation (16 MB RAM, 250 MB HD) for $5K (list)!

Of course, if NeXT felt obligated to sell the NeXTstation Turbo
box with the same specs for $5K, that would be OK too ;-)

--
Nathan Janette		"I'm a NeXTstep man,
Dept MB&B, Yale Univ	 I'm a NeXTcube guy"
New Haven, CT
nathan@laplace.biology.yale.edu (NeXT)