Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!apple!agate!ucbvax!nic.gac.edu!scott
From: scott@nic.gac.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: SPARCstation 2 --> workstation wars
Message-ID: <9010180146.AA09967@mcs-server.gac.edu>
Date: 18 Oct 90 01:46:29 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Lines: 41


   Seriously, it is clear that the workstation wars will continue for the
   forseeable future, escalating at an ever-increasing rate and forcing a
   shakeout (e.g., HP/Apollo).  Consequently, knowledgable users will put less
   emphasis on horsepower (as long as it's adequate) and more emphasis on
   compatibility, upgradability, etc.

This is why I'd like to see a less hardware-dependant NextStep.  NeXT could
move from hardware/software to more of a dependance on software - which is
where the money is.  NeXT could really clean up if they were running
NeXTStep on Suns and {Dec,VAX}Stations, IMHO.  I don't know that this
must be to the exclusion of hardware - the new NeXTStations are pretty
awesome, if you just compare hardware-wise (without discussion of cost
of software, and how much memory it really needs).  If Apple came out
with a comparable machine (a Mac with 105M, 8M, '040, etc) and offered
it for $3000 min to educational institutions, they would sell like
hotcakes.

Of course, Apple is not doing that.

I've heard that NeXT will work with anyone who wants to license NextStep
and DPS to get it ported to new machines.  This is great, this is good.
In nearly the same paragraph, I basically heard that they expected
schools to do it (it wasn't an outright statement, but that is what
it sounded like to me).  This is not the way to go.  I think that
NeXTStep would at least port fairly easily to Sun-[34], Mac IIs, and
VAXStations.  Sparcs and DECStations (how about Personal Iris!) would
be another story, but quite doable.

I think NeXT should do this.  We are already seeing that NeXT is being
forced to run a thin line between the PC world and the Workstation
world.  Why not, instead, concentrate on blurring the distinctions
by porting NextStep to high-end PCs and all workstations?  Besides,
that'd give me a greater market . . . :-)

scott hess
scott@gac.edu
Independent NeXT Developer	(Stuart)
NeXT Campus Consultant		(Not much, really)
GAC Undergrad			(Horrid.  Simply Horrid.  I mean the work!)
<I still speak for nobody>