Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!udel!brahms.udel.edu!jon
From: jon@chopin.udel.edu (Jon Deutsch)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Sorry Guys, There is NO WAY!
Keywords: AMIGA 3000 vs NEXT
Message-ID: <16043@chopin.udel.edu>
Date: 5 Dec 90 22:50:39 GMT
References: <4617@disk.UUCP> <21969@well.sf.ca.us> <1990Dec5.195334.17986@sbcs.sunysb.edu>
Organization: University of Delaware - Smith Consulting
Lines: 76

In article <1990Dec5.195334.17986@sbcs.sunysb.edu> dtiberio@libws3.ic.sunysb.edu (David Tiberio) writes:
>
>  WELL, I can sure say that learning to use UNIX is a big pain! They tell me
>I can multitask...sure, I can exit the program I am working on and blah blah
>blah...
>
Well, I (and I'm sure many others) tend to disagree with you.  I don't think
learning UNIX is a pain.  And, at this stage of the standardization game,
ANY micro supporting UNIX off-the-shelf has a big advantange over others
because UNIX (for better OR for worse) is settling down!  It is becoming
the OS of choice NOT only for mainframes, but for micros too.  If ONE OS
is going to cover BOTH platforms so well, I should think it will be around
for quite a while.

>  Nothing beats the Amiga as far as ease of USE. As far as ease of programming,
>I would suggest the Amiga ten thousand zillion times before a Mac or a NEXT!
>Why? 
>
As far as programming what?  Programming a user interface with the NeXT seems
to be VERY intuitive and quick.  As far as other misc. programs, C is C is C.
It will be about as difficult (or as easy) on any machine.

> Why do you go to school? To learn. Would you learn if everything was fed to
>you from a silver platter aka Next?
>
Not everything is 'fed to you from a silver platter' on the NeXT.  
Building an interface is very simple on a NeXT.  It is made to be
easy in that respect.  BUT, building a PROGRAM entails WRITING CODE.
But, on the NeXT, if you write your code well, you can use it as a 
MODULE for other programs that might need it.  Then again, this is
true for MANY machines (including the Amiga), but this is the BASIS
of the NeXT's design.

>  The Amiga let me learn programming slowly and at my own pace. When I 
>didn't know CLI, I could still actually use my computer without wondering 
>what the heck I was doing. On an IBM I would totally lost. On a Mac I would
>see no challenge. A person who develops on the Next will NEVER learn what 
>makes the machine tick. He may as well still wear diapers.
>
The NeXT is very similar to the Amiga as far as OS versatility. There is a CLI 
(Amiga=AmigaDOS, NeXT=UNIX), and there is a window environment.  On
BOTH machines, you may either point-and-click till your heart's content,
OR you may type commands until your fingers get numb.

>  I can only begin to imagine how limited the Next is in the development of
>creativity. Look at how easy the Mac is to use, and look at how boring and
>disgusting all of the menus and requesters are! (: - mutated happe face.
>
Are you bored of seeing that 'same old file requester' over and over again
for EVERY program you have/write?  Probably not.  You just EXPECT IT because
THAT'S the AMIGA.  Well, the same with NeXT - There's a standard interfacing 
method that most developers are going to use, because it's there already!

And, listen, I am an Amiga owner, and I think the machine is fantastic.
It was the most revolutionary product (that I knew of) in the mid-80's.
The problem is that C=  has to keep some kinda compatability with the
old Amy's when they develop new ones.  This is a BIG hinderance because
technology is moving SO FAST.
The guys at NeXT don't have this problem!  They started on an '030!
They also started with all of the ideas that IBM/MAC/C= came up with
so far!  They have a BIG advantage.  And they are also shooting for
a slightly different market (kinda).  I mean, their BOTTOM LINE machine
is in the 3G range!  That's NOT the range of the AMIGA.  

Let's stop comparing and just accept that the NeXT is a new machine
with lots of innovation.  It's not a kludge, it's designed well,
it has many of the x-tras, and it's got a very nice price/performance ratio.

Personally, I like it because it's black...



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       |  |   |\       |>jon@brahms.udel.edu<|  "For my 2 cents,  |
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