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From: gft_robert@gsbacd.uchicago.edu (opcode ranger)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: New Apple Self-Help Tools
Message-ID: <1991Apr19.122009.1@gsbacd.uchicago.edu>
Date: 19 Apr 91 18:20:09 GMT
References: <1991Apr16.040127.5260@wlbr.imsd.contel.com> <51554@apple.Apple.COM> <23337@unix.SRI.COM> <51699@apple.Apple.COM>
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In article <51699@apple.Apple.COM>, keith@Apple.COM (Keith Rollin) writes:
[...]

> I'd like to get some real world input on this one. Let's compare
> ETO with similar packages in the industry. I'm talking Sun, MicroSoft,
> NeXT, HP, whatever. 
[description of ETO contents]
> All this for $995 for 4 quarterly updates. I've talked with other
> developers with experience on other systems. They say that even a small
> part of what I've listed above would run $5000-10,000 on other
> platforms. That doesn't even begin to address the quarterly update
> issue.

Add, of course, the $600 for the CD-ROM reader.  That comes out to about $1600,
which is a fair amount of money.

I think it's fair to add in that expense, since we're talking about what a
developer needs to get Apple's development package.  Since Apple doesn't
included a CD-ROM reader in its Macs (yet), you have to buy it.  If you're an
independent developer, as I am, that's a non-trivial expense.
                                                             
> 
> I realize that competition may be stiff with the NeXT offering. But I
> would really like to see an item by item comparison of the above with
> what other companies have to offer. Seriously.

I believe that Next includes fairly substantial development tools with each
computer (although I don't think they have a source level debugger).  I don't
think Apple would -- or should -- do that, but it is something to consider when
comparing the relative ease with which developers can  obtain development tools
on the two platforms.

I think that there's a fair amount of difference between big corporations and
small developers.  I've done work for firms to whom $10k was no big deal; if I
need to spend $1000 on equipment purchase, that's a major investment.  I'm not
sure how Apple should approach this dichotomy, but the more support/tools they
can provide to more developers, the better.  

Robert

-- 
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= gft_robert@gsbacd.uchicago.edu * generic disclaimer: * "It's more fun to =
=            		         * all my opinions are *  compute"         =
=                                * mine                *  -Kraftwerk       =
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