Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!decwrl!shelby!daemon
From: lane@sumex-aim.stanford.edu (Christopher Lane)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: What NeXT *should* do next.
Message-ID: <1378@shelby.Stanford.EDU>
Date: 23 Mar 90 17:19:13 GMT
Sender: daemon@shelby.Stanford.EDU
Lines: 44


\begin{opinion}

NeXT's next machine should consist, minimally, of a new CPU board, new optical
drive and additional hard disk offerings, housed in the current cube.  The CPU
should be based on the new IBM RISC chip used in the recently announced
RS/6000 line and contain the current (or improved) sound, Ethernet, optical
driver and other specialized NeXT chips.  It should perform at between 20 & 30
MIPS.

To provide for users of the new cube, users of NeXTStep on AIX and to users of
the original cube, NeXT should take advantage of the elegance of the MACH
object file format and store the executable code for both the 68030 and the
RISC chip in separate TEXT segments, sharing common DATA, NIB, etc. segments
and allow the same binary to execute on all three platforms.

The compiler and 'make' would need to be set up to generate/cross-compile both
types of code for finished applications.  This would require more disk space
(actually, because of the large page size NeXT uses, most of the standard Unix
routines, like 'who', don't use half their object code space so a smaller page
size would allow them to store both types of object code with little space
penalty when compared with the current machine--but this change is unlikely).

Though I don't believe the additional disk space required to accommodate this
change to be too great, I also believe that NeXT could make the 660MB drive
the smallest in their 'disk full' line (with appropriate price adjustments
downwards), drop the 330MB drive and introduce a 1.2GB drive.  In addition,
they could introduce a new optical drive that can read current optical disks
but also handle a new double sided optical disk with ~ 512MB capacity.

I believe they should also publish a 3 1/2 floppy data standard (if not
produce a drive) for 3rd party vendors to use to guarantee compatibility of
floppies no matter whose drive you buy.  (Cross vendor compatibility may
already be the case, I don't know.)

\end{opinion}

Disclaimer:  This is all opinion based on what is possible, not what may be
taking place.  I've nothing to do with NeXT except that I'm a loyal user and
where I live just happens to be share the same ZIP code (though they never
invite me over to visit).

- Christopher
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