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From: petrilli@geech.gnu.ai.mit.edu (Chris Petrilli)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: Low End NeXTs (was Re: Desktop publishing)
Message-ID: <14575@life.ai.mit.edu>
Date: 3 Apr 91 00:59:04 GMT
References: <14483@life.ai.mit.edu> <4753@lectroid.sw.stratus.com> <34936@athertn.Atherton.COM>
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David Williams writes:
>NO! Leave the networking in. Just take the NeXTStation pizza box and 
>use the 030/25 setup[cpu/fpu/dsp] in and sell for $2495. NeXT's 
>factory would probably get swamped with orders! Look at how many of us snapped
>up cubes at the Businessland Fire sales. That sort of price point would grab
>in many who were evaluating getting the Macintoshes in or considering PCs
>especially with SoftPC and the fact that the 2.88M drive will read DOS disks.

I don't think I agree... the NeXT wasn't a dog with the 030, but it
was close, the software spectacular, the hardware a littel boring.
Another program is that there is no upgrade path with the Station,
perhaps a "processor card" (about big enough to hold the '040) would
be the right way to go, then I would say that an '030 would be OK,
becuase then people could upgrade at a later date.  I agree, however,
that the networking MUST stay, the NeXT can't deliver on its
"interpersonal computing" promis without it, though I wouldn't mind if
the twisted pair disappeared :-), as I never thought it a sound
approach electrically, too many problems.

>The real question is can NeXT make enough money even if the sales volume
>is high? They need to have good enought profit margins to stay alive.

Yes, they can survive with a little bit more volume :-), I believ
their factory is capable of roughly 100,000 machines/year, more then
enough, and they could always build anouther.

>They'll also have to move to a RISC cpu to be considered a player in the
>high end marketplace. Hp has finally realized this and has announced
>their 56mips for $12k RISC box. So NeXT has to choose carefully as to
>which chipset they go 
>with.
>
> [Lists major RISC chips]
>
>Moto's 88k may NOT be the optimal choice given their poor track record on
>delivery of the 040. They are single source whereas you've got several 
>manufacturers whomping on each other in SPARC intl for example competing
>to make and deliver chipsets. On the other hand Steve J. could cut a hard
>deal with Moto since all the major workstation vendors have abandoned them.

I don't know that I agree with teh RISC approach in general, and I
think a multi-processor approach is much more sound, and in the end
better.  A quad-'040 machine would dust the new HP (which, BTW, is
VERY impressive), especially if they attached 4 56001 chips to it.  I
think this is they way NeXT is going, and I think it is the right way.
If they decide to go RISC (God forbid), then I hope they stay away
from Sparc, it is not "infinitely extensible" as it's proponents
claim, and I see it as the least suitable choice.  My preference is
for the MIPS set, perhaps the new R4000 due out next year I belive, or
perhaps the PA-RISC from HP (also quite good).  The 88K is also a
pretty good processor, but I'm not sure its the best, but then who
knows what kind of deal Motorola would cut, if they could get 50MHz
88K processors out the door, they would be a force to be reckoned
with.

Chris

--
 
+ Chris Petrilli
| Internet:  petrilli@gnu.ai.mit.edu
+ Insert silly disclaimer drivel here.