Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!dali.cs.montana.edu!caen!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!emory!wrdis01!nstn.ns.ca!uupsi!sunic!dkuug!iesd!iesd.auc.dk!fischer From: fischer@iesd.auc.dk (Lars P. Fischer) Newsgroups: comp.sys.next Subject: Re: Edu discounts in Germany (was Re: Steven P. Jobs reality distortion field?) Message-ID: Date: 7 May 91 21:42:43 GMT References: <1991Apr21.060729.21077@rick.cs.ubc.ca> <1991Apr22.163450.1@sif.claremont.edu> <1504@toaster.SFSU.EDU> <74230@brunix.UUCP> Sender: news@iesd.auc.dk Organization: Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Aalborg Lines: 40 In-reply-to: rca@cs.brown.edu's message of 2 May 91 08:04:44 GMT >>>>> Andy.Hewett@arbi.informatik.uni-oldenburg.de (Andy Hewett) writes: Andy> There is NO discount for teaching or research or for anything. >>>>> rca@cs.brown.edu (Ronald C.F. Antony) said: Ronald> As far as I know, this has to do less with NeXT than with the German Ronald> Wettbewerbsrecht, i.e. laws similar to the U.S. anti-trust laws etc. Ronald> It is legally not possible to give discounts to different sorts of Ronald> customers on the basis of their differences. [...] Ronald> So although there are maybe also problems with the distributors, the Ronald> main problem is in German laws. Now, I'm not in any way an expert in matters of law, but I do know that: - Giving edu discounts is *not* illegal in Denmark - I can buy Sun, Apple, you-name-it, with edu discount in Denmark. - I can *not* buy NeXT with edu discount in Denmark - I Apple gives edu discount in the UK - NeXT does *not* give edu discount in the UK As a matter of fact, NeXT does not give edu discount anywhere in Europe, and I find it hard to believe that the reason for this is a problem with German law. This is a serious problem. I would very much like to get a NeXT and I know of several persons in this department alone that are seriously considering a NeXT. But, with the current discount policy, a NeXT is much more expensive than a SparcStation SLC, Mac IIfx, 486PC, etc, and with no signs of improvements in the horizon, people are going elsewhere. This is a real shame. The home Unix market is being born as this is being written, and NeXT is neglecting a very serious chance to become the de-facto standard in this market. NeXT, are you listening?? Don't throw the baby out with the..... /Lars -- Lars Fischer, fischer@iesd.auc.dk | It takes an uncommon mind to think of CS Dept., Univ. of Aalborg, DENMARK. | these things. -- Calvin