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From: scott@texnext.gac.edu (Scott Hess)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: 16mb minimum for next machines
Message-ID: <SCOTT.91Apr23101341@texnext.gac.edu>
Date: 23 Apr 91 15:13:37 GMT
References: <3381@kluge.fiu.edu>
Organization: Gustavus Adolphus College
Lines: 50
Nntp-Posting-Host: texnext.gac.edu
In-reply-to: acmfiu@serss0.fiu.edu's message of 23 Apr 91 02:03:43 GMTLines: 50

In article <3381@kluge.fiu.edu> acmfiu@serss0.fiu.edu (ACMFIU) writes:
   i don't have a next machine but i've been quietly sifting through
   the messages here for when i do get one. however, one thing that
   has greatly disturbed me is the fact that to get _good_ performance
   out of a next you need like 16mb of memory. does anyone remember
   the days of the apple II and 64k when that was a lot. i still think
   it is. and to say that a "personal" workstation such as the next
   needs 16mb to run under is quite pathetic. just what types of memory
   gobbing programs are you people running on this thing. and
   whatever application it is, i can't see how it's making good use
   of the memory it has available.

Well, yes, this is sort of a valid argument.  I, too, came from the
world of <64k machines (well, originally I did), and I guess it is
a little sad that we no longer can do that.  But, some reality
needs to be injected, I think.

In 1978, or therebouts, an Apple ][+ with 64k of ram and any sort
of hard disk (even a measly 5Megger) would run you about $3500.
Maybe more.  And that was with a kludged memory system, and
kludged disk system (well, kludged most everything).  Didn't mean
you couldn't get good work out of it - some of the best for the
time.  Into the early 80's - IBM PC's with 256k were in the same
price range when they first came out.

Anyhow, today?  16M of memory costs me $650.  Let's say I make
$25/hour (I'm not pinning that down either way, I'll have you
know :-).  It will take me under a four days to pay for that
memory.  I think that would be well worth it, considering that
I'll be using the machine for the next couple hundred days.
Same goes for the hard disk - for 2 weeks worth of work, we're
talking something like 1.2Gig.  That should tide you over for
quite some time, even with memory-hog programs.

So, when it comes down to it - yes, it's sad that the machines
require so much memory.  On the other hand, does it really make
a difference?  The only reason Apples and PCs are so cheap
today is because they are old.  If you want a NeXT to give to
your kids to play with, come back and check in on us in 10
years.  If you want a NeXT to get good work done while having
fun (I do _not_ consider trying to figure out which TSR must
be installed in which order "having fun"), buy in today.

Later,
--
scott hess                      scott@gac.edu
Independent NeXT Developer	GAC Undergrad
<I still speak for nobody>
"Simply press Control-right-Shift while click-dragging the mouse . . ."
"I smoke the nose Lucifer . . . Banana, banana."