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From: dmg@ssc-vax (David M Geary)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: NeXT as a vanilla UNIX box (was Re: USENIX Summer 1991...)
Keywords: green fuzzy bananas
Message-ID: <4125@ssc-bee.ssc-vax.UUCP>
Date: 14 Jun 91 22:54:07 GMT
References: <1991Jun13.142906.28474@ni.umd.edu> <1991Jun13.165313.10653@usenet.ins.cwru.edu> <1991Jun13.195238.29697@umbc3.umbc.edu>
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Reply-To: dmg@ssc-vax.UUCP (David M Geary)
Organization: Boeing Aerospace & Electronics
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In article <1991Jun13.195238.29697@umbc3.umbc.edu> brian@umbc4.umbc.edu (Brian Cuthie) writes:
aIn article <1991Jun13.165313.10653@usenet.ins.cwru.edu> davis@po.CWRU.Edu writes:
>Well, it's time for me to put my 2 cents in.
>
>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.
>
  Are you kidding?  If the average dolt can use DOS, they can use
  NeXTStep.

>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

  Especially since the "market" is closing quickly.  Soon prices for
  PC's and workstations will be the same.  In fact, right now the
  price of a 386 loaded to the gills is more than a NeXT.

>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

  I have seen quite a few postings where people are questioning
  whether NeXT will exist a few years from now.  For me, this is
  Deja Vu.  When I first bought my Amiga 1000 5 years ago there were
  many similar postings in comp.sys.amiga about the fate of
  Commodore.

  All I can say is that if a company like Commodore (whose marketing
  is rotten to the core), can take a work of creative genius like
  the Amiga and stand still for 5 years (the Amiga is basically the
  same machine it was when it came out), and still be in business,
  NeXT will be around for a long, long time.


-- 
|~~~~~~~~~~       David Geary, Boeing Aerospace, Seattle, WA.       ~~~~~~~~~~|
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