Newsgroups: comp.arch
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!van-bc!ubc-cs!uw-beaver!rice!news
From: troth@rio-grande.rice.edu (Richard M Troth)
Subject: Re: Will NeXT survive? Grow with the times?
Message-ID: <1991May2.214357.21643@rice.edu>
Sender: news@rice.edu (News)
Organization: Rice University
Date: Thu, 2 May 91 21:43:57 GMT

Organization: Rice University, Houston, TX.
Date: Thursday, 2 May 1991 16:13:53 CDT
From: Rick Troth <TROTH@RICEVM2.RICE.EDU>
Message-ID: <91122.161353TROTH@RICEVM2.RICE.EDU>
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: Will NeXT survive? Grow with the times?
References:  <11399@uwm.edu>
 
NeXT survive?  Do you mean the company or the machine?  The company
has introduced some slick new products,  and they've changed their
marketting strategy  (picked a broader/better market).  But if NeXT,
Inc. went under,  then the cubes (including the new boxes) would become
"surplus",  which would make me happy as a dog with a bone.   :-I
Being a ham/hobbyist,  I'm more than willing to put in some time to
keep-up what a vendor won't.  If NeXT cubes were surplus,  then I could
afford to buy one for home and not just tell my wife stories about my
workstation at the office.
 
I think the cube will survive just fine.  NeXTOS 2.0 is actually worth
using.  I don't even use X much anymore since I got 2.0 with it's new
Terminal program (basically Stuart).  Read comp.sys.next if you want the
names of some real NeXT enthusiasts.  THEY're the ones who will determine
if the company and/or the machine will survive.  THEY're the ones who
will be supporting the machine if the company doesn't.
 
Fundamentally,  they did the right thing:  they built the "pretty, GUI
[pronounced 'gooey'?], click-your-rodent" environment on a real O/S base.
Mach was an excellent choice.  In truth,  it's not UNIX,  though many
folks can't tell,  and some folks don't need to know and don't care.
 
You asked for opinions.  I hope that helps.
--
 "The tomb is empty"
 Rick Troth <TROTH@RICEVM1.RICE.EDU> ------------- Rice ONCS VM Systems Support
