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From: knrgroup@garnet.berkeley.edu (Raymond group)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: Not another NeXT defector???!!!
Keywords: mac nextstep
Message-ID: <1990Nov11.214228.11009@agate.berkeley.edu>
Date: 11 Nov 90 21:42:28 GMT
References: <1990Nov9.030400.29870@agate.berkeley.edu> <1990Nov11.034700.12729@blackbox.lonestar.org> <1990Nov11.172300.28911@eng.umd.edu>
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rusotto@eng.umd.edu (Matthew T. Russotto) writes:
>Well, if Nextstep is as portable as they say it is, surely a version of
>Nextstep for A/UX or the unreleased, much rumored, Mac version of Mach is
>not inconcievable.  (unless, of course, IBM says no...)

I'd love to see NeXTStep for the Mac.  However, I don't see Apple promoting
a product that is in competition with its own OS.  People might say, "Gee,
this is even better than the Mac's OS.  Why don't I just go buy a NeXT?"

Another problem is that a Mac configured to run NeXTStep as nicely as the
NeXT does would be very expensive.  A Mac would need a 17" screen with 
Megapixel resolution to make the display look as nice as a NeXT.  A Mac
would require 8MB or RAM and lots of hard disk space to get the kind of
performance out of NeXTStep you can get on the NeXT. Display PostScript may
also be necessary for drawing, although TrueType claims PostScript 
compatibility and may fit the bill.  

You could argue that that these arguments apply to IBM as well as to Apple.
However, note that IBM is selling NeXTStep for its RS/6000s, which are too
pricey to compete directly with the NeXTs.  IBM has a version of NeXTStep
running on PS/2 machines; however, they have decided not to sell it to the
public because of performance problems on the relatively underpowered
(relative to the NeXT, that is) PS/2. At least, that's there official
explanation. It may be that IBM realizes that the NeXT now represents a
serious threat to their PS/2 machines.