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From: thomsen@spf.trw.com (Mark R. Thomsen)
Subject: Re: Why NextStep is not on RS/6000
Message-ID: <28380A96.153F@deneva.sdd.trw.com>
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Organization: TRW Inc., Redondo Beach, CA
References: <BB.91May19001025@heat.math.ufl.edu>
Date: Mon, 20 May 91 17:42:45 GMT
Lines: 34

Brian Bartholomew writes
  <skip some stuff>
  This sounds like a perfectly plausible lie for IBM to make up as an
  excuse for why they aren't selling 2.0.  I'e seen it running, and it
  works fine.  I contineu to think the real reason IBM isn't selling NS,
  despite their common tendency to sell multiple OS's for any given
  hardware platform, is that it looks and works so well that it
  totally embarasses their OSF/Motief junk.

Actually we find that Motif runs pretty good on the RS/6000. There
*are* a number of things on this machine that *do* need polishing by
IBM. I would guess that NeXTstep is one of many issues challenging
their technical team - and their marketing team.

IBM says RIOS platforms are their entries in the open systems market.
If so, then Motif makes sense and NeXTstep does not. However, IBM faces
problems selling the RIOS beyond the Datamation and captive buyers if
they do not make RIOS 'special' relative to competition from DEC, SUN,
HP, SGI, and NeXT. NeXTstep can help their positioning for less
technical users, IMHO.

There are reasons NeXT folk should want NeXTstep all over the place -
NeXT users and NeXT employees/leaders. There must be reasons IBM
folk want the same thing (beyond getting something for the money
invested with NeXT). Demand from customers has been shown to work
in some cases. Next time you see an IBM rep or a RIOS demo, and if
you do want NeXTstep on the machine, just ask for it. Ask to see it
demonstrated. Let the IBM rep know that you would consider the RIOS
in your environment (or make a recommendation) if it ran NeXTstep. A
proactive approach might help.

Mr T

                              Mo' Better Tif?
