Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!apple!agate!ziploc!eps
From: eps@toaster.SFSU.EDU (Eric P. Scott)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: NeXT Limitations?
Message-ID: <1036@toaster.SFSU.EDU>
Date: 25 Nov 90 01:27:43 GMT
References: <61300046@m.cs.uiuc.edu> <61300051@m.cs.uiuc.edu>
Reply-To: eps@cs.SFSU.EDU (Eric P. Scott)
Organization: San Francisco State University
Lines: 29

In article <61300051@m.cs.uiuc.edu> gillies@m.cs.uiuc.edu writes:
>My point is this.  It's not a personal computer if you cannot
>personalize it.

No, it's a "personal computer" if only one person can use it.
It's this LIMITATION that makes PCs so unsuitable for places
like public computing laboratories.

>                 It's not useful if some things are cast in stone.  I
>don't care if NeXT breaks my custom code from release to release, what
>I DO CARE is if NeXT software and system design limit me in what can
>be done with my personal computer.

EVERY system has limitations--you have to draw the line
somewhere.  You could argue that the NeXT will never be as
flexible as a VAX from ten years ago, because the VAX gave you a
writeable control store that let you insert custom microcode to
extend the architecture.

How much rope do you need?  If the NeXT software doesn't do what
you want, I'm sure someone (maybe you) will come up with
something that does.  There are a *lot* of ways to tweak the NeXT
software, but I think you really don't understand what you're
dealing with.

If you're asking "why can't the NeXT be more like a Mac?"
THEN JUST GET A MAC ALREADY!!!

					-=EPS=-