Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!snorkelwacker!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!batcomputer!rogerj
From: rogerj@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Roger Jagoda)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: Next NeXT
Message-ID: <9989@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu>
Date: 28 Mar 90 15:11:35 GMT
References: <8127@tank.uchicago.edu> <34232@brunix.UUCP>
Reply-To: rogerj@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu (Roger Jagoda)
Followup-To: comp.sys.next
Organization: Cornell Theory Center, Cornell University, Ithaca NY
Lines: 34

In article <34232@brunix.UUCP> rca@cs.brown.edu (Ronald C.F. Antony) writes:
>
>What I think is really amusing, is the fact that a lot of companies
>get bad credit for vapor ware. Now NeXT is strictly quiet about its
>future products, and oh wonder, the same happens. Just immagine they
>would talk about their products, and then be late by a month...
 
Well, there's another difference. When MicroSoft misses a ship date,
at least customers have the previous product (an Excel or Word) which
will still do their work for them. People complain only because MS
promised and missed. NeXT will not disclose a DIRECTION at all. Big diff-
erence! How can NeXT expect a commitment (read $$$s) from customers, if
those people don't know what to expect. The difference is NOT subtle, and
it is important!
 
>There are. At least for developers, and this includes probably also
>the academic developers, there are a few useful mail addresses to make
>use of, if you have suggestions. And as NeXT is listening here for
>sure, it is not even a waste of time, they will remember what people
>want. Just think of the preliminary 1.0 doc. This thing was produced
>in response to popular request...
 
Well, produced, yes. But it was merely a compilation of what was
already on-line, did not include the things still mentioned as <<to be
included>> (such as NETBOOT), and it came out VERY late! As for NeXT
listening, perhaps they do, however, have you noticed that Avie and Ali
have stopped posting! Either they don't have time (very likely) or NeXT's
gag order has extended to the nets. Too bad, that was a GREAT feature
of NeXT support that really set them above the Apples of the world (i.e.
the Apple CompuServ bit...).

--Roger Jagoda
--Cornell University
--FQOJ@CORNELLA.CIT.CORNELL.EDU