Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!batcomputer!alchemy!judge Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy Subject: Re: Amiga OS *IS* state of the art, but the NeXT is better From: judge@alchemy.tcnet.ithaca.ny.us (rory toma) Message-ID: References: <*68Gc&.f1@cs.psu.edu> Date: Wed, 03 Apr 91 10:49:20 EST Organization: Alchemy International, Ithaca, N.Y. > > Keep in mind that the NeXT is more than an 040. The Amiga still > doesn't have virtual memory(even Macs have this) or memory protection. > The Amiga is a nice machine, but the market is heating up and > consumers educated enough to know the better machine by looking at > spec. sheet. > > -Mike > Which is exactly why people will buy Amigas, and why EDUCATED people already are. If what you said was true, though, no one in their right mind would pay $2000 for a PS/1 from Sears. The fact is, the average blue-collar, beer drinking person is going to buy a computer that he can pick up at a Sears, Montgomery Wards, Silo or whatever. You know what Mont Ward's top selling CPU has been recently? The Amiga 500. Even with salespeople that know absolutely nothing about it, it has still been selling. The reason? It's $11 a month on your Ward's card, compared to $30 for the 286 sitting next to it. The otherreason? It's a game machine. Why do people usually buy computers? For their kids, and the kids want to play games. Later, they begin to program, DTP and many other things, but they all start out playing games. We are graduating a generation of kids who had a 500 and are now moving in/out of college, andwill want to stick with C= and the Amiga. Who the hell is goingto buy a NeXT for their 11 year old kid? One, you can't get the thing anywhere - How many families with 11 year old kids do you know make regular trips up tothe University to check out NeXT prices? Tell me where you can buy a NeXT otherthan a University? Tell me where you can get a NeXT for under $1000. The C= 64 sold because it was cheap! I still think the Atari 800 was a better machine, but the 64 sold better. You have to realize that most people would rather not spend over $1000, because theyeither don't have it, or would rather spend it on a new boat, car, TV, etc. The # of people willing to shell out car-sized payments for a computer has to be limited, I'm sure. Another point. This NeXT thing, didn't we just go through the same thing with Atari. Why don't we call this comp.sys.Amiga.vs.the.World. Who's next? Sun? DEC? Why don't I tell you how much better my Silicon Graphics workstation is than an Amiga 500. Still another point. I could have sworn that VGA, with all it's niceties, was an OPTION. i.e. an expansion card. Gee, I coulda saved myself money by just hooking up my 1950 monitor to my AT without a card. Making comparisons of this type are like comparing a Hard disk system toa floppy system, because we're not even talking about prices that are close! Last point. Quit comparing your wonderful NeXT and saying you get all this for $3250. You don't. The Extended OS 2.0, which has C++, the debugger, and many otherfine tools, does not fit in the base model. I know, I was torn between a NeXT and a 3000. For a personal computer, it is ridiculous that a 105meg hard drive should be way to small. You really need the 200meg version, which is a little over $4000, I believe. These are just my impressions, but it sure seems like every attacker eventually gives up and leaves... rory P.S. You want a cool machine? Buy a Sun 3. People are practically giving them away.