🚀 go-pugleaf

Yamanari writes

> 	It cannot _hurt_ NeXT to have the software available.  The
> Mac port would be, essentially, a recompile with some work to handle
> IO (hd, video, mouse, kbd..)..  The basic OS would remain essentially
> unchanged.  Not a huge investment.

> In any case, given that it's an almost $0 investment, and that
> there are a number of Amigas capable of handling NS--Amiga users
> who are sick of the lack of decent software (Wordperfect 4.2??)
> and lack of task protection (yes, even on machines with MMUs Amigados
> doe s not offer any kind of hard memory protection) would probably
> be interested.

Unfortunately, it *can* hurt NeXT.

Porting from platform to platform has become a minor cost in
comparison to the support required; each additional platform for
NeXTSTEP requires a substantial amount of capital to be sunk.  You
can't just port software and throw it out the window; it's got to
be tested, packaged, tested some more, distributed, sold and
supported.

There is also image to consider.  Amiga's don't have a good reputation
among the business community.  Selling NeXTSTEP on Amigas would
tarnish NeXT's image among the business community, at exactly the
wrong time.

Also, how many Amiga owners are *really* willing to pay >$1000 for
an operating system? Isn't low cost one of the things Amiga owners
(as an improper generality) like most about their machine?

(And it won't be $0 for the technical job of porting - a different
bus means all new low-level drivers.)

--
Scott Byer                             NeXTMail: byer@mv.us.adobe.com
Adobe Systems Incorporated               These are *my* opinions, and  
1585 Charleston Road, P.O. Box 7900        do not necessarily reflect
Mountain View, CA 94039-7900             the opinions of my employer.
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