Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!husc6!m2c!wpi!northrup
From: northrup@wpi.wpi.edu (Jim Northrup)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Glimpse of a NEXT...
Message-ID: <10037@wpi.wpi.edu>
Date: 22 Mar 90 13:55:10 GMT
References: <1990Mar18.001043.23028@spectre.ccsf.caltech.edu> <1164.26065e29@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu> <1215@sdrc.UUCP>
Reply-To: northrup@wpi.wpi.edu (Jim Northrup)
Distribution: comp
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester ,MA
Lines: 35

In article <1215@sdrc.UUCP> evgabb@sdrc.UUCP (Rob Gabbard) writes:
>In article <1164.26065e29@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu>, jwwalden@miavx1.acs.muohio.
>>     Well, it does lead to slowdowns when you print, but at least you aren't
>> wasting enormous amounts of processing power and RAM in the printer (and
>> the printer costs much less).  Wouldn't appear immediately?  On what laser

>What is the printer's processing power and RAM supposed to be used for ?!!!?

The premise is that the printer should not have a lot of RAM, since the printer
sits idle 95+% of the time.  Why not have that RAM in your computer instead,
and just put up with the fact that your computer will be imposed upon by the
printer 5% of the time?  Much more efficient use of RAM!

>Considering that the printer does cost much less, I would rather have my more
>expensive computer free instead of doing the things that I bought a printer
>with processing power and RAM for !!!! >8-(

The __REASON__ the printer costs so much less is because it does impose on 
the computer's resources, rather than having dedicated resources of its own.
You are advocating that the NeXT printer be more expensive.

It reminds me of the early Macintosh days when it was well known that the
Apple LaserWriter was a better computer than the Mac: it had the same CPU
with a faster clock, and more memory too!  I would rather see a cheap,
idiot printer hooked up to a big, fast computer than the other way around.


BTW: I too have had a chance to play with some NeXT's.  I was not impressed.
I'm using a DECStation now, I've had a chance to play with SparcStations,
and I've used regular SUN workstations a lot.  I like them all better than
the NeXT, despite its Buck Rogers GUI.  And of course, I like my Amiga best
of all.  :-)
-- 
Jim Northrup                                               northrup@wpi.wpi.edu
Assistant Professor, Mathematical Sciences             WPI, Worcester MA  01609