Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!apple!agate!darkstar!ucscf.UCSC.EDU!isbell
From: isbell@ucscf.UCSC.EDU (Art Isbell)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: IEEE Spectrum Snubs NeXT (and so does Unix Review)
Summary: Unix Review tests 4 "<$5,000" workstations in April issue
Message-ID: <14470@darkstar.ucsc.edu>
Date: 13 Apr 91 22:31:33 GMT
References: <1991Apr12.205235.9415@math.ucla.edu>
Sender: usenet@darkstar.ucsc.edu
Organization: very little -- only me!
Lines: 42


In article <1991Apr12.205235.9415@math.ucla.edu> barry@leconte.math.ucla.edu (Barry Merriman) writes:
	[about inexcusable omission of NeXT from extensive workstation list.]

Unix Review published a comparison of "under $5,000" Unix workstations.
Workstation Laboratories did the comparison, but it's not clear who chose the
workstations to compare: Sun SLC, DECstation 2100, HP DN2500, and No Name 486
Clone (!).  The article mentioned that the Data General AViiON was unavailable
and that the HP DN2500 is no longer being sold by HP, but no mention was made
of the NeXTStation!  Is NeXT doing a really poor marketing/PR job?  Why aren't
NeXT Computers being recognized in such articles?

The Unix Review article recognized that the 4 selected workstations really
couldn't do much in the base $5,000 configuration, so they added a 200 MB HD,
operating system (!) and documentation, and C (!) and FORTRAN compilers.  The
prices for this very basic configuration ranged from $6,900 for the 486 Clone
to $11,800 for the HP.  A 400 MB NeXTStation with Absoft Fortran compiler lists
for less than $8,000.  By cludging much less than they did to build a 486
Clone, they could have added the NeXT C/ObjC/C++ compiler and Absoft Fortran to
a 200 MB NeXTStation for around the same price as the 486 Clone.

The comparison categories included how to purchase, installation, support,
documentation, operation and ease of use, performance, and price/performance.
The NeXTStation would have finished at or near the top in most of these
categories (well, how to purchase and documentation might have been considered
weak areas) and would have offered a lot more for their money than any of the
rest.  I wrote a letter to Workstation Laboratories complaining about their
omission, but have heard nothing.

Until the word about NeXT gets out to a more general audience, sales will
continue to be below where they should be, but then until NeXT can deliver new
systems in reasonable amount of time, maybe it's just as well.  Unfortunately,
the big boys (IBM, DEC, HP, Apple, etc.) know about NeXT and have the personnel
to catch up in the categories where NeXT excels, so NeXT may lose its window of
opportunity before the buying public finds out about our "secret".  Very
frustrating....
-- 
                                          _____   ____
Art Isbell                 |\   |         |    |  |   \   315 Moon Meadow Lane
NeXT Registered Developer  | \  |   ___   |____|  |    |  Felton, CA
isbell@ucscf.UCSC.EDU      |  \ |  |___|  |  \    |    |  95018-9442
(408)438-4736(B)           |   \|  |___   |   \   |___/   (408)335-1154(H)