Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!osborn
From: osborn@cs.utexas.edu (John Howard Osborn)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: $19 Floppy from NeXTConnection?
Message-ID: <18254@cs.utexas.edu>
Date: 3 Mar 91 01:26:27 GMT
References: <4bnoZl600io1A9JkZh@andrew.cmu.edu> <1991Mar2.205421.13550@m.cs.uiuc.edu>
Organization: U. Texas CS Dept., Austin, Texas
Lines: 49

In article <1991Mar2.205421.13550@m.cs.uiuc.edu> yonezawa@m.cs.uiuc.edu (Noritake Yonezawa) writes:
>According to the NeXT price list, 5-pack 2.88mb floppy disks cost $39
>(academic price $27) and 50-pack disks cost $195.
>BUT I heard they were not available! Where can I buy cheap disks?

There is an important lesson here:  Just because it is on the offical
NeXT price list doesn't mean that you can actually buy it.

(Blank floppies, blank optical disks, cd-rom drive, color NeXTstation,
 NeXTdimension board, color monitor(s), OS2.0 on floppies, documentation)

I understand the delays for the color machines, but I would *love*
to hear an explanation from NeXT why so much other stuff isn't
available.  (Blank optical disks most importantly.  Postings on the net
tend to imply that canon won't sell the media directly and my understanding
is that NeXT won't do warrenty work on your optical drive if you use
the only available media, canon-endorsed double-sided disks.  If *anybody*
has word from NeXT as to when optical disks will become available, please
post.  Reports claim that pallets of blank disks exist at the factory,
but they are probably all being used for 2.0 updates.)

As an aside, my Businessland demo cube (ordered Feb 4, 1991) arrived on
Mar 1, 1991.  I appear to have gotten all the standard documentation
(including stickers!) but no hex-tool.  I plan on contacting Businessland
Monday morning about the missing part, and if past conversations are
an indication, they'll FedEx it to me.  The machine itself appears to
be in very good condition with no visible scratches or blemishes.  The
only item that shows wear is a slight looseness in one of the mouse buttons.
(The right button, interestingly.)

As long as I'm rambling...

Various indications seem to suggest an upcoming release of OS2.1 (containing
significant bug fixes).  Considering the price of upgrades ($180 at my
school) the temptation to wait for a 2.1 announcement before ordering
a 2.0 upgrade is tempting.  (Upgrades may be the only way to get official
NeXT optical media.  At my school, a blank OD costs $170, an upgrade $180.
For a mere $10, your disk may arrive some time in the next few months.
Simply reinitialize the media and enjoy a second set of documentation.)

Despite all the problems, I'm very happy (excited, even) to have taken
delivery of a machine after wanting, but not being able to afford, one
since the Sept. '89 introduction.

-
-John H. Osborn
-osborn@cs.utexas.edu