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From: smithwik@pioneer.arc.nasa.gov (R. Michael Smithwick -- FSN)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Sorry Guys, There is NO WAY!
Message-ID: <1990Dec6.004705.28623@nas.nasa.gov>
Date: 6 Dec 90 00:47:05 GMT
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Reply-To: smithwik@pioneer.arc.nasa.gov (R. Michael Smithwick -- FSN)
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Ok, ok, so I've been suckered into this thread.. . .

One basic issue that people are overlooking here is that the
Amiga 3000UX represents the top of the line in the Amiga family, the
lowest of which is the A500. The Nextstation is the bottom of the line
the highest which the NeXTDimension for about $14,000. The two families
are fundementally different approaching different markets. (most NeXT
software products cost more then an entire A500!).

The Amiga was designed as a consumer machine, and as such certain 
comprimises were built in to keep the price down. The A3000UX still
is locked into these standards (limited colors, lower resolution, etc.)
at least until we can get 8-bit retargetable graphics. Frame buffers can
make up for part of this problem however.

When the Next was designed, Steve Jobs looked at what the future of computing
might be over the next 5 to 10 years and built a machine which would fit into
his future "vision". (something like shooting at a moving target, you need to
aim at where the target will be instead of where it is). Over time the 
cost of the technology he incorporated will come down and become more
generally available.

How ever then is then and now is now. . .
When buying a NeXTStation, the smallest system, a user will likely become
dissatisfied rather quickly and wish to upgrade, adding color, a larger 
drive and so on. All of which can easily cost $thousands due
to the small size of the market and underpriceing of the orginal hardware.
Kinda like buying a new car for only $3000, only to find out that it
really needs a new set of special tires which will run $1000 each. In
otherwords, the initial investment may be cheap, but in the long run it
can be quite costly. Afterall, if someone can afford $4000 on the BASE
machine, he/she can certainly afford 500 bucks for even the
most simple software packages. 

Whereas with an Amiga (not just the A3000UX), practically all of the
software and hardware is written and priced for the consumer market. 
Fine paint programs for 100 bucks, the toaster for $1600, genlocks for $150. 
Need I say more?

And from a developer's standpoint the much larger market means the more people
will be able to enjoy his handiwork.

The NeXT is a classy machine. We have one in our lab. If I was to do
Unix development I would certainly choose it over the 3000UX. But if
I really wanted to get some practical use out of my investment, I would
never buy a NeXt. True, it comes with some of the "basics". Most of which 
could really never be used unless you shelled out more bucks
for the laser printer. And I have yet to need 
something like mathematica or the entire works of Shakespeare. Interface
Builder is slick, but only if you want to do Next apps, and then only if 
you wanted to work in Objective C. (Don't tell me about networking printers
or fileservers. I am interested in a machine that is independent of the
outside world. Were I a student investing 4 or 5 thousand bucks in a box 
which really needs a network to be useful, what will I do with it when
I graduate?).

So what is boils down to is that once the novelty and prestige of owning
a Next wears off, you have to start paying the bills. . .

(I still want one though :-)

Once I can get a next, new, with no special discount for <$2000, with
color and which doesn't need all sorts of expensive add ons to be
even marginally useful, then the Amiga will be in danger, until then, 
I'm not too worried.
                                       >> mike smithwick <<

Any opinions are my own since nobody else would ever want them.

"Colonize Cyberspace!"