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From: hammen@vpnet.chi.il.us (Robert Hammen)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc,comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: Desktop publishing
Message-ID: <1991Mar27.052556.9495@vpnet.chi.il.us>
Date: 27 Mar 91 05:25:56 GMT
References: <1991Mar25.024612.1264@mlb.semi.harris.com> <1991Mar26.053352.13091@mendelson.com> <16775@chopin.udel.edu>
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>I'm not sure I'd agree ... I don't even have a NeXT yet, but from what I've
>heard on the net (and thanks to all who responded :-), the NeXT is _the best_
>writing and desktop publishing platform around!

I think that this phrase should be changed to "the NeXT has the _potential_
to be the best writing and desktop publishing platform around."

I hate to jump into this foolish Mac vs. NeXT argument, but I want to
interject some real-world experience into the discussion. The problem
with using the NeXT _right now_ to do publishing is that you don't have
a variety of software available for it. How many DTP packages are there
on the NeXT? FrameMaker, with QuarkXPress in development. How many packages
are there available for the Mac? Frame, Quark, PageMaker, DesignStudio, 
Ventura Publisher, ad infinitum. This is important to note, because no
one program can do _everything_. 

How many word processors for the NeXT? WriteNow and WordPerfect. How many for
the Mac? Word, WriteNow, MacWrite II, Nisus, Word Perfect, FullWrite, and so
on. I'm not saying that just because there are more packages available on
the Mac, it makes it better. But having the diversity of options allows the
user to pick the software package that suits their needs, and that they are
comfortable with. It also increases the competition between the various
companies, which leads to newer, more capable products. When you own the
market, you don't have much incentive to offer upgrades.

What about other publishing-related software for the NeXT? Is the whole
Adobe Type Library available? Even if it is, what about other fonts? There
are thousands of typefaces available in the world. Adobe does not make them
all. You can now get most of them on the Mac. And yes, to some people, it is
VERY important that they match the exact face (and not some lookalike 
knock-off) that they have been using traditionally for years.

What about graphics software? Adobe Illustrator is in development, but it's
not here yet. There are no alternatives (though Altsys, the people who
write FreeHand for Aldus, are rumored to be working on a NeXT version). And,
correct me if I'm wrong, but there's nothing like Adobe Photoshop or Letraset
ColorStudio for the NeXT at this time.

More problems: there are no NeXT-to-prepress links currently available
(though Scitex is rumored to be working on it). And, the infrastructure
of service bureaus in this country does not have much support for the NeXT
at this time. (Do this: call any typesetting shop in your hometown, and 
ask them if you can get typeset output from a Mac disk. Now, ask them if
you can get output from a PostScript file from a NeXT. Most of them will
go "Huh?").

There are two things which the NeXT proponents always fail to realize or
consider: (1) That no one software program is the be-all or end-all for
everyone. Diversity in software is necessary. (2) That when a business buys
a computer, they're not concerned about getting the most MIPS per buck. They
buy a computer as a tool to perform a specific task. They MUST purchase
the system that does the job today, not the one that may be better someday.

Again, I want to reiterate that I am not a NeXT-basher, nor am I a total
Mac advocate. I think the statement that "the NeXT is the best computer
for publishing" is a ridiculous one to make. I also think if you substituted
"Mac" for "NeXT", it would still be a stupid statement to make. No one
computer is the best tool for every job.

That being said, I do think the NeXT hardware has the best potential for
publishing (particularly color publishing, with the on-board JPEG compression).
I (and the software company I work for) are just waiting for the variety of
software to come out and make the market explode, so that we can justify
developing our product (RIPLINK, a prepress system link) for the machine.

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/ Robert Hammen   Software Support Engineer  Screaming Technology, Inc.       /
/ vpnet.chi.il.us!hammen  CompuServe: 70701,2104  GEnie: R.HAMMEN             /
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