Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!spool.mu.edu!uunet!oceania!johnr From: johnr@oceania.UUCP (John Robison) Newsgroups: comp.sys.next Subject: New HP machines No News for NeXT?? Message-ID: <1991May22.201338.14280@oceania.UUCP> Date: 22 May 91 20:13:38 GMT References: Sender: johnr@oceania.UUCP (John Robison) Reply-To: /dev/null Organization: Oceania Healthcare Systems Lines: 56 In article scott@mcs-server.gac.edu (Scott Hess) writes: > > Then again, these machines would probably be running New Wave, which, > while not NextStep, is also not _X_, and has some nice extensions > for multiprocessing and the like. Maybe NeXT should be worried > (maybe NeXT should be working with them on this? :-). > Maybe they are... In fact, maybe they have their own plans for high power cpu's. Remember, less than a year ago you could oly buy a 030 cube with an optical drive. Now there are several NeXT options, 040, 2.88 Floppy, etc. With the speed of things on the hardware side, I think software and support would be a major issue. Also... On the HP debate (and all other future "MIPSStations") 78MIPS is worthless if developers can't easily port to it. Look at Improv's record time to port. They could not have easily made Improv for X windows (IMHO). We buy and develop on NeXT for NeXTStep and Technical support. Even if you are not a developer, what kind of user interface do you want?? Unless you are doing scientific number crunching, the extra MIPS really don't buy you much. As long as events are processed fast enough to keep pace with the user, that is fine. I would, however, say that I have no complaints with a faster NeXT machine. Right now we can only load them up with RAM for better performance. Switching to any other UNIX development platform, regardless of cost, would easily quadruple our development time. Development time is the bottom line for our workstation decisions. (Because our market is a total integrated solution- We sell the software AND machines, Improv and FramMaker obviously cannot also adopt this point of view.) Of course, the LOW COST of NeXT is also avery nice touch!! Later, John (Is this a developer's vote for FSF NeXTStep??) -- | A sophistical rhetorician, inebriated with the exuberance | | of his own verbosity. --> We gladly accept NeXT Mail <-- | | Try: uunet!oceania!johnr* OR johnr@oceania.UUCP* | | *Not necessarily (mis)representing the company or myself! | -- | A sophistical rhetorician, inebriated with the exuberance | | of his own verbosity. --> We gladly accept NeXT Mail <-- | | Try: uunet!oceania!johnr* OR johnr@oceania.UUCP* | | *Not necessarily (mis)representing the company or myself! |