Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!jarthur!sif.claremont.edu!greg
From: greg@sif.claremont.edu (Tigger)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: Steven P. Jobs reality distortion field?
Message-ID: <1991Apr22.163450.1@sif.claremont.edu>
Date: 22 Apr 91 23:34:50 GMT
References: <1991Apr21.060729.21077@rick.cs.ubc.ca>
Sender: news@jarthur.Claremont.EDU
Distribution: comp.sys.next
Organization: Pomona College
Lines: 39

In article <1991Apr21.060729.21077@rick.cs.ubc.ca>, h5346866@rick.cs.ubc.ca (bradley don head) writes:
> 
> It's fine to boast that the academia
> loves the NeXT...

and

> You've convinced the academia, now convince the rest
> of the world.

I hate to tell you, but not all of us in academia are convinced.  Technically,
the machine looks real good, but recently the company seems to be as hard to
deal with as Sun (which is the _worst_ I've ever experienced).  Let me give
you a couple of examples.  We recently held an Academic Computing Symposium
here.  NeXT was one of the vendors scheduled for the exibit hall.  Everything
was properly arranged in advance.  NeXT did not show.  They didn't even call
to say they weren't going to show.  The Amigas ended up looking real good
sitting next to the empty table marked "NeXT."  NeXT also told us that as
part of our reseller agreement they would fund a part-time student rep, the
same as Apple and IBM.  We found the student we wanted and started making
our plans while awaiting an interview with a NeXT rep.  We eventually were
told that they were not going to fund it because we had not yet sold enough
NeXT's.

Your main point was that NeXT needs to work on its marketing.  I think they
need to work on their customer/account relations.  Given that the Claremont
Colleges have a collective total of only about 5000 students, most vendors
don't treat us the way they treat a place like UCLA with 40000 students.  But
we do have one of the top ten ranked private liberal arts colleges in the
country, and the number one ranked private engineering college.  There is
a growing feeling here that NeXT is completely thumbing their noses at us.
If they don't shape up their customer relations, I wouldn't be too surprised
if we dropped the NeXT resale agreement.  And if they treat everyone else
like they treat us...

Greg Orman                                    greg@pomona.claremont.edu
Systems Manager                               greg@pomona.bitnet
Seaver Academic Computing Services
Pomona College                                Standard disclaimer-type stuff