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From: jmann@angmar.sw.stratus.com (Jim Mann)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: DOS in the NeXT?
Message-ID: <2113@lectroid.sw.stratus.com>
Date: 24 Aug 90 17:18:10 GMT
References: <9267@jpl-devvax.JPL.NASA.GOV> <48146@brunix.UUCP>
Sender: usenet@lectroid.sw.stratus.com
Reply-To: jmann@angmar.sw.stratus.com (Jim Mann)
Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc.
Lines: 23

In article <48146@brunix.UUCP>, rca@cs.brown.edu (Ronald C.F. Antony) writes:
|>There is a program capable of emulating a PC, as far as I know it can
|>even emulate an AT, BUT although it is pretty hardware independent (it
|>runs on Mac's, Clipper workstations, Iris etc.) there is still no
|>version out there for the NeXT. (Why can't NeXT push these guy's to do
|>the development? Noone want's to use a PC anyway if they do not
|>absolutely need to do it, once they used a NeXT.) In case you want to
|>bother the company that writes the program: Their name is Insignia (as
|>far as I know) and their product on the Mac is called SoftPc.

Noone "wants" to use a PC?  Depends upon what you mean by wants. Yes,
all things being equal, the NeXT is much nicer. But things--costs
in particular--aren't equal. Even if a DOS emulator is available on the
NeXT, those folks who just have to run certain specific PC applications
are better off with PCs ($8,000 vs $2,000 per desktop). If all someone
has to do is run a small database application, or do simple word processing,
the PC (or the Mac) is a much better choice.  The NeXT is much too expensive
to plop on the desk of someone who is just going to use it to write letters
and memos.
                                      

Jim
jmann@es.stratus.com