Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!news.arc.nasa.gov!haven.umd.edu!umbc3.umbc.edu!umbc4.umbc.edu!jack From: jack@umbc4.umbc.edu (Jack Suess) Newsgroups: comp.sys.next Subject: Re: CD-ROM Drives Message-ID: <1991Jun24.043401.3798@umbc3.umbc.edu> Date: 24 Jun 91 04:34:01 GMT References: <1991Jun21.002247.15086@leland.Stanford.EDU> <28651837.1100@deneva.sdd.trw.com> Sender: newspost@umbc3.umbc.edu (News posting account) Organization: Univ. of Maryland Baltimore County, Academic Computing Services Lines: 44 As the one who started this topic I have been very interested in the responses generated. My main reason for starting this thread is that I think the 105MB Nextstation is a wonderful machine for students; however the software chosen to be installed on the 105MB disk is not always what a student would need. It was my belief that by supporting cd-rom Next could 1) allow a 105mb system to be tailored depending on your needs, 2) provide a backup for the OS (not user files) in case of problems, and 3) distribute alot of additional goodies that are now only available to users directly attached to the internet. Wouldn't it be nice to have online the archives from the major NeXT ftp sites and get updates every few months. While read/write optical will some day be cost effective it is not presently the case, what other medium, other that cd-rom can Next use ? The cost of floppies, including the labor of reproducing has to make them more costly than cd-rom for the OS distribution. Mastering machines for CD-ROM have really dropped in price, not to mention the fact there is alot of excess mastering capacity in the industry makes it very inexpensive to produce cd-rom. I will agree with some of the users who complained that originally cd-rom distribution was plauged with problems; however that is changing with Sun, Dec, and HP (the three I get). What we are now seeing is that vendors ship a new cd-rom every two months, that cd-rom has the updates and patches that came out the two months before AND this represents a much quicker turnaround on updates than we every saw with tape. I can see why users who purchased the 400mb hard disk systems might not be interested in a cd-rom, you have essentially all the software NeXt distributes and you shouldn't be burdened with additional cost. Likewise, I would not replace the floppy with the cd-rom because the floppy is THE medium for independent software companies to distribute software. I can't believe that someone at NeXT is not watching this discussion very carefully. If you have an opinion about media distribution let them know. jack suess jack@umbc3.umbc.edu -- Jack Suess UMBC Academic Computing Internet: Jack@umbc5.umbc.edu Standard Disclaimer: Bitnet: Jack@umbc The opinions expressed above are mine and ATT: 301.455.2582 not my employers.