Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!uupsi!sunic!news.funet.fi!hydra!cc.helsinki.fi!jalkio
From: jalkio@cc.helsinki.fi
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject: Re: A3000UX - Born to run UNIX SVR4
Message-ID: <1991Feb11.144540.4831@cc.helsinki.fi>
Date: 11 Feb 91 14:45:40 GMT
References: <593.27ab5841@vger.nsu.edu> <1991Feb04.161126.8475@convex.com> <1991Feb7.151106.4795@cc.helsinki.fi> <11961@helios.TAMU.EDU>
Organization: University of Helsinki
Lines: 61

In article <11961@helios.TAMU.EDU>, n368bq@tamuts.tamu.edu (Raoul Rodriguez) writes:
> 
> O.K.... lesse, 
> 
> 1) The NextStation has a 68040, the A3000UX has a 68030, no comparison in the
>    CPU's persay... but, one must take into consideration the custom chips in
>    Ami...  Anyone have specs between the A3000UX and the NeXTStation?

NeXT has Motorola DSP (which I believe is more expensive than any of the
Amiga's custom chips). It has special (NeXT propiertary) VLSI chips
supplying 8 (or in some versions 12, I don't remember) separate I/O
channels - resulting in mainframe-like high system throughput. 

NeXTs without the NeXTdimension don't have any graphics processors,
though. But IF you can afford it and NEED high quality graphics, then
the dimension is very hard to beat for its price. (They had to buy _3_
different graphics cards for the MAC IIfx in a recent comparison between
the Dimension equipped Cube and the IIfx in MacWorld magazine. Just to
get the MAC graphics near the NeXT quality. And the inferior MAC system
ended up costing more than 2 time as much.)

> 
> 2) The NeXTStation would be more accuratlky compared to the A500 with a
>    200 Meg HD and 68030 than the A3000, why?  Because the NeXTStation is
>    unexpandable like the A500 (mostly) is, although I think that the A500
>    does beat the NeXTStation in explandability because of the Slot on
>    the side...

Well, for some people expansion slots might be the most important thing
in a computer. Not so for me.

And if I decide to want more power later, I can sell my old machine.
What is so terrible in that?

> 
> 3)  The NeXT Machine to compare the A3000UX to would be the Cube, when
>     NeXT becomes expandable it also becomes expensive... I believe that
>     the Cube with the color board (the 4032 color board that is) is
>     ~$7,900 (I lost my notecad with the prices on it, that is my best
>     guess (putting on asbestos undies)) educatoinal price.
> 
> 4) There is a NeXTStation (a.k.a the "slab") with color, 4032 colors to
>    be precise, and I think it it about $5,000+ (educational price), but
>    then again, this would the almost (with the exceptin of the CPU)
>    be the comparisin to the afformentioned A500 with extra ram (9
>    megs, 200HD x/unix, network card.. ect.)  Does anyone have any
>    ideas how much a A500 setup like that would be?

The NeXTStation color has 16-bit graphics with about 1200x850
resolution. (12-bit color and 4-bit alpha). I guess A500 specs aren't
quite that good?
 
> Oh well, here we go again...  (sigh)
> 
> Raoul "My 500 Has a Detachable Keyboard" Rodriguez
> n368bq@tamuts.tamu.edu
> Standard Disclaimers Apply (Within)



				Jouni Alkio