Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcsun!unido!nadia!ncc1701!space
From: space@ncc1701.UUCP (Lars Soltau)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: Getting machines to students
Summary: Think of European Students, too!
Message-ID: <223@ncc1701.UUCP>
Date: 27 Oct 89 22:12:31 GMT
References: <1989Oct25.042130.13037@agate.berkeley.edu>
Sender: uhura@ncc1701.UUCP
Reply-To: ncc1701!space@nadia.UUCP (Lars Soltau)
Organization: United Federation of Planets
Lines: 49

In article <1989Oct25.042130.13037@agate.berkeley.edu> dubman@ocf.berkeley.edu (Jonathan Dubman) writes:
>
>I think NeXT is the best-run computer manufacturer in the U.S., but the
>method of getting machines to students appears slow and chaotic.

If you in the U.S. are complaining, what should we poor outsiders in Europe
say?

>Over a year past the introduction of a machine targeted at academia, I can't
>buy one at one of the largest academic institutions in the world.  However, I
>am allowed to drive to UC Davis, where delivery supposedly takes 30 days and
>there is, I believe, a 15% fee, which exceeds the price of a Mac Plus at our
>local academic outlet.  With tax, this brings the price of the entry-level
>machine to over eight thousand dollars.  Reportedly UC Davis has sold but ten
>machines over the past year.  With those terms, I'm not surprised.

If I'd had the opportunity to get a NeXT at those conditions, I'd have bought
one long ago. At least you CAN buy one!

>PROPOSAL:
>Maybe an agreement could be reached with Businessland whereby students offer
>proof of school registration and Businessland gets a $3500 or so rebate.

Hear, hear! Extend this offer to students all over the world, I say!

>As I and many other students are future developers, it would be prudent for
>NeXT to reevaluate its academic distribution policy without delay.

Oh boy, how true this sounds!

>If I had my machine right now, I'd be able to write about more substantive
>issues.  I'm a big proponent of the machine; my complaints with NeXT are
>confined to this issue.

I very much wonder whether it is arrogance or only negligence which has
kept NeXT from extending its academic program to universities outside the
US. All I keep hearing when I ask about a NeXT in Germany is "maybe next
year, around June!". Hey, next year around June a NeXT isn't that hot
technology any more. If NeXT wants to make sales on foreign markets, it has
to provide foreign developers with machines.

Since I now have decided to get a UNIX workstation, I could get all of this
off my chest. I've wanted to yell this out for quite some time, but I still
kept hoping "maybe I will get in touch with NeXT". Fat chance. My mail
didn't even get a reply.

--
Lars Soltau     bang: ...uunet!unido!nadia!ncc1701!space    BIX: --no bucks--
                smart: ncc1701!space@nadia.UUCP