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From: brian@umbc4.umbc.edu (Brian Cuthie)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: NeXT as a vanilla UNIX box (was Re: USENIX Summer 1991...)
Keywords: green fuzzy bananas
Message-ID: <1991Jun13.195238.29697@umbc3.umbc.edu>
Date: 13 Jun 91 19:52:38 GMT
References: <526@heaven.woodside.ca.us> <1991Jun13.142906.28474@ni.umd.edu> <1991Jun13.165313.10653@usenet.ins.cwru.edu>
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In article <1991Jun13.165313.10653@usenet.ins.cwru.edu> davis@po.CWRU.Edu writes:
>In article <1991Jun13.142906.28474@ni.umd.edu> louie@sayshell.umd.edu (Louis A. Mamakos) writes:
>>
>>Its too bad that they feel that way. *Everyone* that I know (including
>>myself) that has personally bought a NeXT platform for themselves has
>>done so because its a good UNIX platform FIRST, and a personal
>>workstation/GUI/whiz-bang box second.

>I almost *didn't* buy the NeXT because of its nonstandardness (having been
>working with X and C++ at the time), and I was planning to throw all the
>NeXTstep stuff away and just run X when I bought the thing.  I didn't really
>take NeXT seriously as a UNIX workstation vendor because they don't convey
>the impression of being serious about being one, and many of my friends have
>the same attitude.  So if you're listening, NeXT: you have a very serious
>image problem among people who know enough to be in the market for one of
>your machines.
>


Well, it's time for me to put my 2 cents in.

I couldn't agree more with both of these postings.  I too was very sceptical
of the NeXT.  When Louie bought his my first response was: "what !? Are you
nuts?"  

Then, after months of bugging him about what a junky machine he bought, I 
actually sat down and tried one.  Know what ??  I liked it so much that I
owned one less than a week later.  In that week, I examined the hardware
and software costs of several other **UNIX** platforms.  Afterall, I was
looking for a UNIX platform first, GUI , et al. second. 

What I learned was that NeXT is the greatest thing since sliced bread.  I 
have been developing applications, professionally, for the Macintosh for
> 5 years now.  I can't begin to tell you what a pleasure it is to work
with NeXTStep.  It is possible to build sphisticated apps on the NeXT in
1/100th the time necessary to build the same program on a Mac.  In addition,
it's fun.

The thing that baffles my mind though, is where NeXT is heading with their
marketing (what marketing they have).  It's not clear, for one thing,
whether they consider themselves a UNIX workstation or a PC.  The problem
is, currently they're neither.

Unix is too complex, even with NeXTstep wrapped around it, for the average dolt
to deal with.  Let's face it, most business people are lucky to know
where the on/off switch is on their PC.  They are not likely to be able
to deal with the sysadmin strangeness that exists even on the NeXT.

Yet, NeXT seems not to be interrested at all in the UNIX workstation market
place.  If they are, why do they seem to shun all the real opportunities to
show off their product ?

If they believe that they will *create* a market, one that fits 
snugly between PC and workstation (the personal workstation, if you will),
this is an extremely risky path.  It is difficult enough to carve out
a niche in a well established market, it is nearly impossible to define
a new market *and* be in business 5 years from now.  In most cases
the sucker who creates the new market runs out of money about the time
people start believing the market exists.  It's usually the second guy
in the market who wins.

Anyway, the gist of all this is: WAKE UP NeXT !! You have a great UNIX
platform.  PEOPLE LIKE THE NeXT ONCE THEY HAVE SEEN ONE.  Problem is
there are very few places to actually see one.

-brian