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From: knrgroup@garnet.berkeley.edu (Raymond group)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: WANTED: objective info. on NeXT vs. Amiga
Message-ID: <1990Nov10.213707.23112@agate.berkeley.edu>
Date: 10 Nov 90 21:37:07 GMT
References: <90313.054820DLV101@psuvm.psu.edu> <1990Nov10.045915.4226@nntp-server.caltech.edu> <1567@fornax.UUCP>
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[this is continued from my previous post]

DLV101@psuvm.psu.edu (Dwaine VanBibber) writes:
> [want a machine with] Standard UNIX tape drive...

The NeXT supports SCSI-II (backward compatible with SCSI-I with $7 adaptor).
Basically, any tape drive you can run on a 4.3BSD Unix system, you can
run on a NeXT with little difficulty.  8 mm Exabytes seem to be popular 
with NeXT users.

>I refuse to pay a lot for software

Mathematica comes free with the NeXT for educational users.  A nice
word processor, a great spreadsheet, and a lot of other useful stuff
comes free with the NeXT.  NeXT software, though, seems to be at least
as pricey as Mac software.  However, there's a growing library of
freeware and shareware.  The Amiga, of course, has much more software
available today.  But the situation can change, especially in the
business software area.

>The machine will primarily be used for software development (testing of
>data structures and algorithms and graphics work) and document 
>preparation via FrameMaker and TeX.  Color would be a plus since I do
>a lot of fractal programming.

NeXT color will take you up beyond $5000 with educational discount.  But
it is nice and quick color on a 16" Megapixel Sony Trinitron.  For
programming, the NeXT is simply wonderful.  For graphics applications,
NeXT's Display PostScript is a nice plus.  The DSP chip has features for
matrix and array processing.  TeX comes free on the NeXT.  FrameMaker
will set you back a bit.

>Monitor(800x600) 16" diagonal minimum

The standard NeXT megapixel display is 17" with 1120x832 resolution at
2 bits/pixel.  It comes included with the computer.  The color monitor
is the 16" megapixel Sony Trinitron I mentioned above.  It has the
same resolution as the gray monitor. The color monitor is included with
the color machine.

>I'm also a musician/composer, so MIDI would be a plus

The NeXT has a DSP chip, a DSP port, a microphone jack, a built-in mic,
a SCSI port, and two serial ports.  So it has all the hardware you'd need.
The DSP stuff also allows you to do CD quality sound and music.  For the
programmer, there are Sound and Music objects in the AppKit, the toolbox
of objects used to build programs.  There is a significant body of 
public domain sound and music software for the NeXT.  You'll have to wait
until First Quarter 1991 for commercial software though.  First Chair,
a MIDI and sound sequencer should be available, as should MusicProse by
Coda for music publishing and composition (it will also support real-time
MIDI input and playback).  

Hope this info helps to make your decision.