Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!ucla-cs!math.ucla.edu!pico!barry
From: barry@pico.math.ucla.edu (Barry Merriman)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: BusinessLand (reasonable)
Message-ID: <132@kaos.MATH.UCLA.EDU>
Date: 17 Jul 90 04:15:28 GMT
References: <1990Jul16.205459.6101@midway.uchicago.edu>
Sender: news@MATH.UCLA.EDU
Organization: UCLA Department of Math
Lines: 30

gft_robert@gsbacd.uchicago.edu writes:
>-------- 
>barry@pico.math.ucla.edu (Barry Merriman) writes...
>[...]
>>The only thing [from Apple] coming close to the NeXT in functionality is the
>>the MacIIfx, 
>
>
>Nope.  I'm not sure what you mean by "functionality", but the closest thing in
>speed is the IIci, which is considerably cheaper than the IIfx.  

True, the IIfx is 60% faster than the NeXT, but I was thinking
of ``total, averaged functionality'', so the gain in speed made up for the
many other deficits, in part.

But, even though the IIci is much cheaper, the best academic
discount model available here (UCLA) has only 4MB RAM and 80MB HD,
for $5200. So, you need to add 4MB RAM (about $300) and a 180 MB HD
($1200 at academic discount---thats the biggest drive they offer here)
to _approach_ the NeXT on memory capacity. This would bring the price
up to $6700. Then, add $150 for the keyboard and $1100 for a 2 page
display BW monitor (closest thing available here to the NeXT monitor)
and your up to $7950.  Pretty steep, for what you get---which, again,
is primarily access to the Mac software base and GUI.

If anyone ever makes a MacII board for the Cube (probably legally
impossible?), I think Mac II*  sales would vanish within a year.
(Or, the price would drop by about a factor of 2.)

Barry Merriman