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From: knrgroup@garnet.berkeley.edu (Raymond group)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: Not another NeXT defector???!!!
Message-ID: <1990Nov4.075323.1536@agate.berkeley.edu>
Date: 4 Nov 90 07:53:23 GMT
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dfrancis@tronsbox.xei.com(Dennis Francis Heffernan) writes:
>a) Wait until the 040 is out of beta testing at the very least;
>they've still got bugs to squash.

Not a long wait.  NeXT says it will ship in quantity one week from now.
The rumored "bugs" only pertain to special features installed on the chip
for Hewlett-Packard machines.  These "bugs" have no significance for the
NeXT computer.

>b) Word is you can't even GET a NeXTStation until February-they're
>backlogged with orders.
>e) Who wants to be the only person in 20 miles to own a NeXT?

Interesting...NeXT is backlogged with orders for their computer, but 
apparently these orders don't mean that many people will be using the
computer?  I guess NeXTs are being bought for decoration :-).
Seriously, NeXT is receiving very large orders for their new machines,
and I suggest you get one before you're the last on the block to get
one.   

>c) I'm no big fan of A/UX, but it looks like a more useful version of
>Unix than what NeXT is fobbing off.

As I mentioned elsewhere, NeXT has one  of the most stable and powerful
Unixes around: 4.3 BSD.  It is probably as stable as Sun's implementation
of 4.3 BSD, and, IMHO, is more powerful because of the Mach kernel.

>d) If you've got a Mac, you won't have to abandon all your old software;
>you'll be able to run it without changing machines all the time.

You'll be able to run NeXTStep, X windows, MS-DOS (with the upcoming SoftPC
for the NeXT), and perhaps, if someone comes out with a Mac emulator
for the NeXT, Mac applications on the NeXT.  NeXTStep applications, by the
way, are as easy to use as Mac applications and more powerful because of
better hardware, virtual memory, true multitasking, etc.  Remember that
several of the engineers primarily responsible for the Mac and its nice
interface designed the NeXT.

So, go ahead.  Get a NeXT.  Don't feel guilty.  You're action will be just
another reason for Apple to evolve beyond the Mac and bring the prices of
their high-end machines down to earth.