Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!cmcl2!uupsi!sunic!news.funet.fi!hydra!hylka!jalkio
From: jalkio@cc.helsinki.fi
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Amiga vs NeXT
Message-ID: <3949.273715c2@cc.helsinki.fi>
Date: 6 Nov 90 19:57:54 GMT
References: <405@shrike.AUSTIN.LOCKHEED.COM> <1990Oct31.160214.2131@engin.umich.edu>
Organization: University of Helsinki
Lines: 84

In article <1990Oct31.160214.2131@engin.umich.edu>, gilgalad@caen.engin.umich.edu (Ralph Seguin) writes:
> In article <405@shrike.AUSTIN.LOCKHEED.COM> vervalin@AUSTIN.LOCKHEED.COM (Paul Vervalin) writes:
>>      A3000                     NeXTStation
>>---------------------------------------------
>>   25 MHz 68030                ? MHz 68040
> 
> The NeXTStation's clock is 25 MHz.   You might be interested to know that
> the 040 is not up to production quantities.  It will be a long time before
> he will be able to get a machine even if he orders now.  I called NeXT
> and was told that I would have to wait until at least Februrary (or later)
> before they could process all of their backorders and get around to me (if
> I were to order that is).  When the 040 is up to production quantities, you
> will be able to take an 040 coprocessor board and stick it in your 3000
> to really boost performance (the 040 is about 10 times as fast as an 882 in
> floating point, and several times faster in regular instructions)

But how much will a 68040 coprocessor board cost for Amiga? On NeXT it
is standard equipment...

> 
>>   100 Mb Harddrive            105 Mb Harddrive
>>   880K Floppy                 2.88K Floppy (I think)
>>   5 Mb RAM                    8 Mb RAM
>>   MultiTasking                ?
> 
> Absolutely.  The NeXT does multitask.  It is UNIX after all.
> 
>>   ?                           Ethernet Built in
> 
> There are several makes of ethernet boards for the Amiga.

..Which are not free, I assume.

> 
>>   Workbench and Misc S/W      Lots!! of Software (50-60 Mb)
> 
> Well, the software you get for the NeXT is generally PD.  There is a LOT
> of PD software for the Amiga as well.

I think this was about BUNDLED system software. No third party PD.
(There is third party PD for NeXT, too.) When you buy a NeXT, you get a
dictionary, objective C, mathematica (if educational), a super editor,
mail facilities, thesaurus, complete works of shakespeare (-: , and lots
of other stuff (the bundled software takes about 200MBs, to my
knowledge). And all this if you only buy the computer.

> 
>>   Large S/W base              Small S/W base
>>   Cost: $3899 (edu. dis.)     Cost: $3340 (edu. dis.)

What kind of monitor is included in that Amiga packgage? You get a
1120x832 pixel 4-shade monitor as standard with the NeXT. (And these
kind of monitors aren't cheap, if you try to buy them for other
computers.)

Oh, and because NeXT has Unix as standard, you don't have to spend
several hundred (thousand?) bucks to get Unix.

> 
>>This is all I know which IMHO makes them look pretty competitive.  Is there
>>anything I can tell him to help him decide this "tie-breaker"?  I just ordered
>>an A3000 which I'm certain was the right decision for me but, I need help
>>convincing him.  Any help with this matter would be greatly appreciated.
>>Thanks!
>>                             vervalin@austin.lockheed.com
> 
> 			See ya, Ralph
> 
> Ralph Seguin			gilgalad@dip.eecs.umich.edu
> 536 South Forest Apt. #915	gilgalad@caen.engin.umich.edu
> Ann Arbor, MI 48104		(313) 662-4805

BTW, you didn't even talk about the DSP processor, which is a very
strong point for NeXT if you intend to do music or electronic analysis.

I think that A3000's, Atari TT and Mac IIsi are about the same
price/performance ratio, but NeXTstation is FAR better.

Reclaimer: I have now an Atari MEGA4. But I will soon have a
NeXTstation, there is no serious competitor for it. (Only weak point is
limited availability of commercial software, but the software base grows
surprisingly fast.)

				Jouni