Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!caen!gilgalad From: gilgalad@caen.engin.umich.edu (Ralph Seguin) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: Amiga vs NeXT Message-ID: <1990Nov6.235708.17534@engin.umich.edu> Date: 6 Nov 90 23:57:08 GMT References: <405@shrike.AUSTIN.LOCKHEED.COM> <1990Oct31.160214.2131@engin.umich.edu> <3949.273715c2@cc.helsinki.fi> Sender: news@engin.umich.edu (CAEN Netnews) Organization: University of Michigan Engineering, Ann Arbor Lines: 74 In article <3949.273715c2@cc.helsinki.fi> jalkio@cc.helsinki.fi writes: >But how much will a 68040 coprocessor board cost for Amiga? On NeXT it >is standard equipment... First things first. You kinda quoted my message in a deceptive way making some other person's message seem like mine. Anyways, there will be 040 Amigas as soon as the 040 ships in production quantities. I figure that the 040 upgrade board will run aroun $1200 to $2000 depending upon manufacturer and features. >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. Well, this may be a little deceptive. You only get Shakespeare and the other goodies if you get a 300 or 600 meg drive. Objective C and mail are, of course, included (as in ALL other UNIX boxes). I'm saying that most of the "other stuff" is either GNU or PD, or what have you, and is just compiled by NeXT and put on their systems. I don't object to this at all. I was simply trying to point out that there is scads more software available for the Amiga than for NeXTs. >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.) The standard Amiga monitors are not megapixel. There is no doubt about this. Megapixel displays color, grey scale or mono are not cheap. >Oh, and because NeXT has Unix as standard, you don't have to spend >several hundred (thousand?) bucks to get Unix. Amiga OS comes with the systems that they sell. It is very UNIX like in many respects, but is much more flexible and has a much slimmer kernel, has better scheduling, etc. Amiga will be releasing their own UNIX boxes soon enough and the price will be included in the price of the systems. The price of UNIX is in the price of the NeXTs. >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. There are DSPs available for the Amiga. >price/performance ratio, but NeXTstation is FAR better. This is simply because it is 040. Please don't comare 040 machines to 030 machines. Everybody knows that the 040 simply kills the 030 in performance. >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.) How soon? Remember the 040 is NOT shipping in quantity yet. One thing that I love about the NeXT is the Interface Builder. This is not that big of a concern to me though since Open Look has something similar but in my opinion better. Thanks, 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