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From: hodges@toaster.SFSU.EDU (John Hodges)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next,comp.lang.lisp
Subject: Re: Needed: Lisp on NeXT for January AI course
Message-ID: <1080@toaster.SFSU.EDU>
Date: 28 Dec 90 01:22:04 GMT
References: <1990Dec22.225150.20135@cs.umn.edu>
Followup-To: comp.sys.next
Organization: San Francisco State University
Lines: 40

In article <1990Dec22.225150.20135@cs.umn.edu> kirchner@umn-cs.cs.umn.edu (Roger B. Kirchner) writes:
>I am desperate to find a Common Lisp for my AI course at Carleton
>College starting in January.  I had hoped that Franz would have an
>upgrade for current NeXT customers by now.  But I wasn't too worried.
>I had expected that a saved image of Allegro CL would be sufficient.
>But it turns out to be more broken than I thought -- it won't load
>files.

Some time back someone mentioned that T had been ported to the NeXT and
I grabbed it off of whatever ftp site they selected. I have not untared
it yet, but suppose that it works. Of course, kcl or akcl would be a
common lisp flavor other than Franz, but if you need a lisp, then this
is A way to go. Of course, you may NEED to stay with OS version 1.0 for
another term...

As for Franz and NeXT, I think that you really have to place the LACK OF
FORESIGHT on NeXT. Franz, I think they will readily agree, would LOVE to
have CL still bundled with the NeXT. Unfortunately, we have seen Jobs
already moving away from his committment to academic institutions, and
the first spear throw was to withdraw support for CL. There is no question
that CL was one of the selling points, maybe the only one in retrospect,
which has kept my interest, so I am pissed in a very strong way. But I
do not see NeXT caring much what I think, or what you or anyone else
on this forum thinks. When they want our business, then we will see CL
bundled with the platform once again, or at least a good pricing
arrangement for CL.

As for Franz, well I have already posted my lament about their upgrade
policy. For those of us with networked machines, the upgrade path is
survivable. For those individuals who have purchased the NeXT as a
home computer, the upgrade policy is fucked, intended for large
instituitions and not at all for single owners. To this end, I say get
on Franz' case, and do it VERY vocally, as they are a small company
that CAN be hurt by public opinion (NeXT appears to think that they are
not a small company, and this is probably going to be a big mistake for
them in the long run).

Much luck to you, and to all of us in this matter.

	Jack Hodges, SFSU