Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!apple!uokmax!d.cs.okstate.edu!minich
From: minich@d.cs.okstate.edu (Robert Minich)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: Next intro: any effect on Mac _high-end_ prices?
Message-ID: <1990Oct6.071135.14257@d.cs.okstate.edu>
Date: 6 Oct 90 07:11:35 GMT
References: <2867@bridge2.ESD.3Com.COM>
Organization: Oklahoma State University
Lines: 35

by ngg@bridge2.ESD.3Com.COM (Norman Goodger):
| 
| 	Where is it that Apple and NeXT are in any serious 
| 	competition with each other? (In ego perhaps) but
| 	Joe Average is not going to run out and buy a Unix
| 	box. If you think they are, Why can't you buy a Sun
| 	or other Unix box at the local computer store? (outside Xenix)
| 	I think that its somewhat obvious that Unix is not for the
| 	masses no matter what front end you stick on it. Software
| 	for Unix platforms is usually incredibly spendy as well.
| 	So It is my opinion that Apple is not really in any
| 	significant competition with NeXT with some certain
| 	Market exceptions that I don't think are all that
               ^^^^^^^^^^
| 	significant..... I could be wrong, but I doubt it..

  So, the IIfx and the IIci are not that significant to Apple's product 
line? They're aimed at a similar audience who wants and can afford to
pay for some performance. In that market, NeXT has a basic offering
that, IMHO as a die hard Mac user, walks all over the IIfx at a third
the cost. (Add up monitor, enet card, some software, ...)  The new
NeXTs won't magically rise to preeminence because of (1) it's heart of
UNIX (2) it's not already in millions of offices and (3) it has a
small, high priced software base. (2) is a matter of marketing while (1) 
I can't really make a valid comment on since I haven't done any sys admin 
things with a NeXT. With all the rave reviews for the interface builder,
I suspect (3) might come quicker than you suspect if sales take off. If
were at Apple, I'd sure as heck be interested in going after market share
as aggressively as NeXT is. Or would that be to realistic of a view?

-- 
|_    /| | Robert Minich            |
|\'o.O'  | Oklahoma State University| A fanatic is one who sticks to 
|=(___)= | minich@d.cs.okstate.edu  | his guns -- whether they are 
|   U    | - Ackphtth               | loaded or not.