Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!lethe!yunexus!ists!helios.physics.utoronto.ca!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!julius.cs.uiuc.edu!apple!autodesk!glang From: glang@Autodesk.COM (Gary Lang) Newsgroups: comp.sys.next Subject: Re: X11 for the NeXTstation Message-ID: <2012@autodesk.COM> Date: 14 Jan 91 00:52:10 GMT References: <1991Jan3.135628.78@drycas.club.cc.cmu.edu> <49737@sequent.UUCP> <50361@cornell.UUCP> <1875@autodesk.COM> <278A1EA5.28595@orion.oac.uci.edu> Organization: Autodesk Inc., Sausalito CA, USA Lines: 34 In-reply-to: mwu@teri.bio.uci.edu's message of 8 Jan 91 19:33:57 GMT > the fact that people need to ask the net how to >install modems indicates to me that it is _not_ a personal >computer. Take the average personal computer user and ask him or her to install their own modem. They will need help. Installing communication software and hardware has never been a job for Joe Secretary or Jim WordProcessor. Anyway, I am not sure what problems with this the NeXT has in particular; I plugged my modem into the serial port, just like I've done on my Macs and PC's, and ran my comm. software. I really don't see what the difference is that you're citing here. My comments about workstation vs. personal computer is strictly in terms of marketing thrust, applications that are available, and are not related to MIPS or anything else; I know full well that I have a workstation on my desk. But I also know that the NeXT is the only workstation that really does provide the level of ease of use that users get from Macintoshes and to a lesser extent PC's without exposing a user to Unix. So, I'm really referring to positioning here and not reality. The NeXT is a good inexpensive Unix workstation but there are already plenty of those so it's better to think of it (when you're writing software anyway) as a personal computer and not expect your customers to have a field service person holding your hand the way that VARS do for workstation installations. -g -- Gary T. Lang (415)332-2344 x2702 Autodesk, Inc. Sausalito, CA. MCI: 370-0730