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From: ernest@pundit.cithep.caltech.edu (Ernest Prabhakar)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: Marketing niche for NeXT (as an X-terminal)
Keywords: X, marketing, terminal
Message-ID: <1991Jun21.173057.18459@nntp-server.caltech.edu>
Date: 21 Jun 91 17:30:57 GMT
References: <1991Jun21.061143.16495@utstat.uucp>
Sender: news@nntp-server.caltech.edu
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
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Philip McDunnough writes
> 
> The idea of a NeXT as an X-terminal replacement with good elementary
> capabilities, user friendly interface,etc...is very discouraging.

I agree with your point, but disagree with your conclusion.  The long term goal  
is, of course, for everyone to run Display PostScript and NeXTStep so we can  
send them our pictures in NeXTMail, no? ;-) However, the short term goal is to  
get NeXTs out into the marketplace where people can see them and realize what  
awesome machines they are (and also keep money flowing to Steven so the NeXT  
isn't orphaned :-}.

The way I am trying to convince our purchaser to buy a NeXT is precisely that:  
as an X-terminal.  True, it is more expensive than your average X-term, but not  
a whole lot (depending on your vendor, of course).  It also doesn't eat up CPU  
cycles on the server and network bandwidth the way a 'dumb' X-term would do.   
Plus there is enough curiosity about the NeXT to possibly justify the extra  
cost versus an X-term, even though there isn't enough to justify purchasing one  
on its own merits :-(.  Of course, this would all be academic if we could run  
NeXTStep on our IBM RS/6000s.  Sigh.  Someday, perhaps.

This way, NeXTs can sneak in through the 'back door', but then people would  
find out all the neat stuff they could do with a NeXT, and X-terms would be as  
passe as VT240s.  Fortunately, I do believe NeXT is realizing this.  There is a  
white paper called "NeXT and Open System Standards" where they brag about X  
compatibility, so it is pretty clear they are not unaware of this marketing  
point.

So yeah, running X on a NeXT is a bit humiliating, but if that's what it takes  
to gain a toehold in a lab, I'm willing to bite the bullet.

	-- Ernie P.
--
Ernest N. Prabhakar                  Caltech High Energy Physics
CaJUN President        NeXTMail:ernest@pundit.cithep.caltech.edu
"...and ourselves, your servants for Jesus sake." - II Cor 5:13a