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From: melling@cs.psu.edu (Michael D Mellinger)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: System 7.0 vs. NeXT Step
Message-ID: <li2G.5tf@cs.psu.edu>
Date: 5 Feb 91 16:54:49 GMT
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	<1991Feb5.013654.4045@NCoast.ORG>
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In-Reply-To: allbery@NCoast.ORG's message of 5 Feb 91 01:36:54 GMT
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In article <1991Feb5.013654.4045@NCoast.ORG> allbery@NCoast.ORG (Brandon S. Allbery KB8JRR) writes:

   ...and until NeXT comes up with a machine that doesn't have stuff I don't
   need, like Ethernet, and therefore don't want to pay for.  (I can find a use
   for the DSP chip --- see my .signature --- but I bet many others wouldn't know
   what to do with one if it were dropped in their laps.)  How about a low-end
   NeXT upgradeable in separate pieces, i.e. get the bare box and add Ethernet
   and DSP later?  If they did this in a way that reduced the price sufficiently,
   I could almost see myself getting one.


This is not going to happen.  It goes back to what Jobs' says about
the least common denominator in a computer.  If there isn't a DSP,
then developers can't assume that the quality of sound in the
machine(for a better and more detailed explanation of the LCD
principle, please read what Jobs has to say about it).  Besides, voice
mail would not be a too good w/o the DSP.  The LCD for the Mac is a
Plus.  Apple is going to have to live with that legacy for several
years, and so are developers.  This, IMHO, will limit the
functionality of the software on the Mac.


   I have no doubt that the current breed of NeXT is a nice machine, but it'd
   *still* be swatting a fly with a sledgehammer in my case.

What do you use a computer for anyway?  I have used a Mac SE and a
Plus(and II).  I wrote all of my papers in college on a Mac SE using
MS Word.  The SE(Classic,etc) is starting to show its age.  System 7.0
is going to be multitasking all of the time.  Multitasking is a little
more useful if you have a screen bigger than 9".  Actually, many
things are better if you have a larger screen.  DTP, spreadsheet work,
Hypercard, MacroMind Director,...,etc.  Hell, I'm probably more of a
Mac user than you.  I might actually do some Mac programming if
Zortech has a good C++ class library for the Mac, and I can find a II
to work on.


-Mike