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From: dlw@Atherton.COM (David Williams)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: CD-ROM Drives
Keywords: Software distribution,CD-ROM
Message-ID: <35557@athertn.Atherton.COM>
Date: 24 Jun 91 16:01:55 GMT
References: <1991Jun22.184134.23102@ni.umd.edu> <1779@toaster.SFSU.EDU> <7=al3ha@rpi.edu> <1789@toaster.SFSU.EDU>
Sender: news@athertn.Atherton.COM
Reply-To: dlw@Atherton.COM (David Williams)
Organization: Atherton Technology -- Sunnyvale, CA
Lines: 43

In article <1991Jun22.184134.23102@ni.umd.edu>, louie@sayshell.umd.edu
(Louis A. Mamakos) writes:
In article <1789@toaster.SFSU.EDU> eps@cs.SFSU.EDU (Eric P. Scott) writes:
>Didn't this discussion start from the supposition that CD-ROM
>might become NeXT's sole distribution medium for future Software
>Releases?

Yup something like that. Thought I think it should just join the existing
channels of distribution...let the customer decide the media to choose:

1) OD
2) CD-ROM
3) Floppy

>I don't think that anyone wants to use CD-ROM distribution
>exclusively, but as an option.  Many vendors such as Apple, Sun and
>DEC have discovered the economy of distributing software on this
>media.  I'd certainly prefer having a CD-ROM distribution of Ultrix to
>the equivelent distribution on TK50's.  I'd prefer to have my NeXT
>software on a CD-ROM rather than a dozen floppies.

Absolutely...Hp does updates of both their OS's on CD-ROM. NeXT does it
internally it just hasn't decided to do it for their customers. Though
maybe it is just one long alpha test inside NeXT!

>I can imagine that sites that do not have network connectivity might
>want to subscribe to NeXTanswers on CD-ROM.  Just imagine receiving
>the latest set of Q&A, the documentation that they've released (like
>the Concepts manual), all of the various Example programs, and other
>good stuff updated every few months.  This could be quite a benifit to
>folks that can't just FTP it.  Heck, I'd even pay $75 a year for such
>a service to avoid having to FTP over a 9.6K SLIP line!

Yup me too, this would be great! To have it distibuted every month with
updates from the ftp servers containing the latest software. Apple has
something similar already with their magazine "Develop", they include a
CD-ROM with EACH issue. 

Someone at Adobe said the Apple drive worked just fine on the ol' Cube...if
this is true then it would be a great thing as I could use the same ROM
player on my Mac & my Cube.

David