Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!umich!sharkey!aucis!gillham
From: gillham@andrews.edu (Andrew Gillham)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: CD-ROM Drives
Message-ID: <677618537wkn13459@edmund.cs.andrews.edu>
Date: 22 Jun 91 19:22:17 GMT
References: <1769@toaster.SFSU.EDU> <16777@adobe.UUCP> <1991Jun22.123950.1@capd.jhuapl.edu>
Reply-To: gillham@edmund.cs.andrews.edu.UUCP (Andrew Gillham)
Followup-To: comp.sys.next
Organization: Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan
Lines: 59

In article <1991Jun22.123950.1@capd.jhuapl.edu> waltrip@capd.jhuapl.edu writes:
>I am PROBABLY in favor of software distribution via CD-ROM PROVIDED that NeXT
>makes available a CD-ROM drive for about the same price as the new Tandy drive
>(about $400).

This would make it to CHEAP to pass up!  If I could get a CD-ROM drive for
$400 and get the OS on CD-ROM (600megs) I would be more than willing to pay
for it.  (say $500 for the bundle)

>I also feel that it would be good business for NeXT to continue to make
>software distributions available via "old" media such as ODs...but feel that
>they should adopt charges commensurate with their distribution costs for such
>media.  Most users would probably find it cost effective to get on board with
>the newer media, but, regardless, it's their choice and that's almost always
>good marketing practice.  If NeXT recovers their costs, it's no problem for
>them.

Floppies and OD's should always be available, but not the STANDARD media.

>Of course, what I'd REALLY like to see is a reliable, <$500 DAT.  That's
>probably a couple of years off:^{  DAT has even greater capacity than
>CD-ROM though I suspect mastering costs might be much higher and that might be
>enough to make CD-ROM a better software distribution choice.

This would be nice, but CD-ROM would work TODAY!  Also, as the originator of
this thread mentioned (I think it was him), you could mount the CD-ROM and 
use it as part of the file-system thus reducing the amount of magnetic disk
required to have the EXTENDED OS.  Sure it would be slow, but it would be
a lot cheaper than 600meg of magnetic!  
Let's see, 105MB mono slab == $3400 (educational), CD-ROM drive == $500,
A box of blank floppies == $100, we've got a pretty nice system for $4000.
Add the NeXT Laser and you've only paid $5000 and you've got the complete
Extended system with Mathmatica, ACL, G++, GCC, EMACS, etc, etc and still
some free space on your hard-drive.
THIS WOULD BE GREAT!  Do you know any student that wouldn't be happy with
this?  
Sure, you would want to add more RAM and a bigger disk if you were getting
into development work or are a real power-user, but the typical student
that wants to do the kind of stuff he could do on a MAC would be pretty
happy.  [IMHO]

>Just my 2 cents on what I feel might be a pretty important thread.
>
>c.f.waltrip
>

I think this is pretty important also.  A cheap, high-capacity random access
device is preferable to a expensive sequential access device for distribution
if you consider the sheer size of NeXTStep.  You can use the whole thing
without having enough disk to load EVERYTHING off of you exabyte 8mm.

Again, my opinions.  (and I don't even have a NeXT, so who's gonna listen?)

-Andrew

--
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Andrew Gillham ****** Andrews University ****** (gillham@andrews.edu)
I would've added a cool .signature, but I already mailed this letter.