🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1k4udc$1cb@agate.berkeley.edu> izumi@pinoko.berkeley.edu writes:

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>
>But then, at least in the NS486 market, it should be pretty easy for
>a small clone maker to preload NS486 to their clone with tested
>video cards, ethernet cards and hard disks.  And guarantee that things
>work.  Loading NS486 to existing clones would be problematic, but
>no one on the selling side is interested in that -- loads of troubles
>and little money to be made.

Why on earth will users flock to NS486 when they have yet to leave DOS? There
are so many OS's on the PC that it's getting confusing at this point. In any
case, NS486 is hardly going to make a dent in sales and users of DOS, Windows,
OS/2.
>
>I would bet that NS486 would definitely eat into NeXT's hardware sales
>because there are enough dealers that bend over backword to differentiate
>themselves from the rest.  Even with $600 price the dealers might
>pay for NS486, they can slap together a 66MHz 486 machine that is
>competitive with NeXT hardware, and preload NS486, with satisfaction
>guaranteed or money back.
>Recent prices of local bus 486 machines are amazing.
>And NS486 will sell the top of the line machines for them.

Why would NS486 sell the top of the line machines? There are already OS's out
there for these machines that have a whole lot of applications now.
 
I'm not saying that NS486 will fail. It will sell as a niche product. However,
it would be foolish for NeXT to give up making hardware and to become a
software vendor. That would really be the final straw.
 
There's no reason to stop making NeXT hardware. 
 
Incidentally, which local bus are you referring to? I was under the impression
that there was no standard set. 
 
Philip McDunnough
philip@utstat.toronto.edu