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From: fellman@celece.ucsd.edu (Ronald Fellman)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: A kind word...
Message-ID: <7510@sdcsvax.UCSD.Edu>
Date: 23 Nov 89 16:53:54 GMT
References: <4275@helios.ee.lbl.gov>
Sender: nobody@sdcsvax.UCSD.Edu
Reply-To: rfellman@ucsd.edu (Ronald Fellman)
Distribution: usa
Organization: UCSD Department of Elec. and Computer Eng.
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I also like my NeXT and I think that most of the criticism is
unwarranted.  

1) Price: for $6500 you get a 17" monitor, a DSP chip, an R/W OD,
and a significant amount of software (Mathmatica, WriteNow, a Draw prog., etc.)

Even if you forget about the OD, you can buy a system for $5000
A Sparcstation is >$6000 and a Sun 3/80 is (I think) $5000.
Neither has the free software or DSP (which IS useful as a math
co-processor). In fact, run the Mandelbrot demo using the DSP and
compare that to the Sparcstation.  I think that they are about the same
speed.

Even if you compare it to the Sun 3/80, and you ignore the DSP, then I
feel that the user interface alone makes the NeXT a clear winner over the 
Sun.

I won't even bother to compare this to a MacIIci since that is so
outrageously overpriced.

2) software: It is really very close to being here (like a couple of
weeks away).  For example: TopDraw (and Artisan) can be purchased around
Dec. 1 for about the same price as MacDrawII (but it is MUCH MORE
powerful).  FrameMaker is already here and the Sun version won't be out
until after January.  Wingz is due out by January. DaynaFile will be
ready by mid December.  These programs represent most of the applications
people buy for Macs.  Of course, Macs DON'T have the UNIX tools that
NeXT has. This includes programming tools like cc, lisp, an editor,
grep!!!, awk, sed, tex, etc.  You can get some of these things but you have
to PAY extra.   I have heard that X-windows for the NeXT is also almost
ready. MIT is just holding off for the latest version of X to be
officially released before we can get it. I've also heard people praise the
previewer for tex on the NeXT.

Of course Suns don't have many of these applications programs yet
either. However, if you wish to do CAD work, I would easily agree that
NeXT would NOT be the right choice. (I am getting a DECStation 3100 for
that).  NeXT doesn't have the speed or color required for that.
BUT, NeXT has the networking capability to live very comfortably in a
heterogenous environment. I view NeXT as a great general purpose
workstation as opposed to a CAD workstation.

3) service: NeXT clearly has the BEST servicing around!! Whenever we
have had any problems, they have responded IMMEDIATELY. In ALL cases
they shipped out the replacement part first, no hassles, then we shipped
the bad part back.  In the first case, a Maxtor Drive had SCSI problems
and a new disk was sent here. In the only other problem I've seen,
my mouse button was sticking and again another mouse was sent out on the
same day that I called. (Thank you NeXT!!) My experience is with four 
eXT computers.  Three of them have been here since March.

Now for Sun: I have heard of a 3/50 CPU going bad in another dept. on
campus. Sun required them to first send in the old board for servicing.
They then lost that board and are denying it. In fact, I have NEVER
heard a good word about Sun service or reliability.

Apple: They have had incredible problems with their internal drives
lately.  After a few months the drives would get stuck due to lubricant
problems.  The 'fix' was to send the user a new ROM (assuming that the
drive was still under the 3 month warranty), that beefed up the power to
the servo.  This caused the disk to become MUCH slower as a side effect
(almost unusable in at least one case).

To summarize: I think that NeXT definitely has a fighting chance.  The
next few months will probably be crucial depending upon how much
software comes out and how well it is accepted.  Mac won't have a
comparable UNIX at least until the summer and is much more expensive. 
Sun, HP, and DEC, will not have the general-purpose applications or user
interface also until the summer (if then).  The cost of their software
may be MUCH more than for the NeXT. (Frame for the Sun is twice the
price as Frame for the NeXT. Mathmatica is also expensive.)

-ron fellman (rfellman@ucsd.edu)