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From: petrilli@wookumz.gnu.ai.mit.edu (Chris Petrilli)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: (Ne)X(T) Terminals
Summary: What about Postscript and proposal for replacement!
Message-ID: <15305@life.ai.mit.edu>
Date: 26 Apr 91 05:51:29 GMT
References: <1991Apr25.084827.1475@math.ucla.edu>
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Organization: Free Software Foundation
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Barry Merriman writes:
>Here's an idea: given the popularity of X Terminals, could there be 
>a market for ``NeXT Terminals''?
>
>We all agree that NeXT should not lower the quality of its computers
>simply to produce a box they can sell for $2000. BUT---what if they
>make something that has _no pretense_ of being a computer, but
>rather just a smart NeXTStep display meant to run off a server over a network?
>
>The cost reduction over a Slab would be big---no need for disk drives,
>8MB RAM or 68040 (leave in the microphone, though!)---that cuts about
>$1000 off production costs already (and most of the eliminated
>stuff is not NeXT produced anyway.)
>
>I bet they could sell the monochrome NeXT Terminal for $1500
>($999 educational price) and a color one for $2500 ($1999 educational).
>This would certainly provide a low cost ``color solution'' for
>many users that want color.
>
> [... discusses marketting ...]

While I think everyone would agree that this is an excellent idea (I
certainly do), you have forgotten a major cost: Display Postscript.
If Adobe is licensing DP like they do Postscript, it adds
substantially to the cost of a machine.  They have lowered their
prices, but I have heard that the license for EACH machine is several
hundered dollars usually (I think it is based on the cost of the
product as a percentage).

I have kicked the idea of extending Ghostscript (the FSF
implementation of Postscript) to be Display Ghostscript (fully
implementing DP features), which would eliminate the licensing fee,
but whether NeXT would allow NextStep to run on such a platform is
still left to be seen.  I don't have the time to do the work, though I
might be interested in helping, but since the source-code is available
:-), anyone could do the work, but of course, it MUST fall under the
General Public License.  

The question is:  How much would NeXT want for a license for Display
Postscript?  When I discussed porting NextStep to other platforms with
a local NeXT rep, he expressed a concern in the fact that NextStep is
heavily dependent on Display Postscript.  If you were to create
Display Ghostscript, then this problem would be alleviated, but then
what?  Would NeXT be willing to place their NextStep software into the
"public domain" under something like the General Public License?  This
would thouroughly upset IBM I believe, who payed a substantial price
for a license.  

I don't see why NeXT wouldn't support an effort like this... tehy have
given the FSF a version of GNU C which supports Objective-C, and have
released NetInfo, so why not go all the way and release NextStep,
allowing it to become as widespread as X.  I don't think anyone would
argue that X is better than NextStep, but it is more widely used,
which, while not makeing it better, does give it an inherint
importance.  Imagine the support NeXT would receive for NextStep, even
if they licensed it for a couple dollars ($100?), but then imagine the
support they would receive if they gave it away, as is done with X.  

You might think this would in the end sink NeXT, but I beleive that
their applications and hardware will keep them around for many years.
The NeXT is more than great software, it's great hardware at a great
price, the software is just icing on the cake, though a rather rich
iceing. :-)  

So, NeXT, what's the opinion on such a proposition?  I'm sure the work
would get done if NeXT would support it with the source to NextStep
after Display Ghostscript (or Display ????) is finished.

Sounds good to me!

Chris
--
+ Chris Petrilli
| Internet:  petrilli@gnu.ai.mit.edu
+ Insert silly disclaimer drivel here.