Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!cs.utexas.edu!asuvax!ukma!psuvax1!news From: melling@cs.psu.edu (Michael D Mellinger) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy Subject: Re: A3000UX in PCW Message-ID: Date: 1 Jul 91 04:18:34 GMT References: <1991Jun28.185652.1@cc.helsinki.fi> <1991Jun30.015457.17258@Sugar.NeoSoft.com> <1991Jul1.023737.29018@Sugar.NeoSoft.com> Sender: news@cs.psu.edu (Usenet) Organization: Penn State Computer Science Lines: 64 In-Reply-To: peter@Sugar.NeoSoft.com's message of 1 Jul 91 02: 37:37 GMT Nntp-Posting-Host: sunws0.sys.cs.psu.edu In article <1991Jul1.023737.29018@Sugar.NeoSoft.com> peter@Sugar.NeoSoft.com (Peter da Silva) writes: > There's more horsepower in the 68040 NeXT than a 68030 Amiga even with > the blitter. That's true. And it needs it a lot more. For what? Video? Animation? Buy the NeXT Cube + NeXT Dimension. It's got plenty of horsepower. Take Interface Builder, for example. -rwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 832269 Nov 13 1990 InterfaceBuilder* A bit large, but it loads in about 4 seconds. OK, it doesn't all load in since it's a Unix system, but all is fair in computer wars. It is up and running and waiting for input in 4 seconds. > Why wouldn't a NeXT be a great stand alone machine? Um, the shipped system isn't even big enough to hold the shipped software. The 105MB system? Then buy the 200MB, 400M, or 600MB. Commodore doesn't ship an Interface Builder, Mathematica, etc., so they don't have this problem. You can boot the NeXT from a floppy. Corporations build networks of computers, having a >105MB local drive is usually unnecessary. Sun ships diskless clients. Can't put much on those. > Could you clarify what you mean by "no expansion?" Where do I plug in my multiport serial card? My real-time stepper controller card? Extra display cards for multi-head operation? Video Toaster? 68050 card? Do you really own a Toaster? I thought that was the product that every Amiga owner bragged about but very few actually owned. What is going to happen when NeXT upgrades to the 88K system is unknown. If you remember correctly they replaced the entire board in the Cube for $1500(retail Peter -- $1000 edu.). NeXT might just do the same with the NeXTstations. Right. Expansion by buying new computers. Technology is changing so fast, it's going to be damn hard to build an upgradable system that isn't obsolescent in two years. You think that most businesses can get buy on an XT? How well do you think they will do with a 15 mip NeXT? > What have you added to you "expandable" Amiga 3000 lately? Nothing. But I added a total of 22 serial ports to an AT-bus UNIX box. Another one has dual network cards for simultaneous OSI and TCP/IP work as a gateway. Who knows what people will need to add to their machines after they buy them. I spent $2000 on my 3000. If I had to start out buying $4000 worth of hardware I couldn't have bought it. Will you be able to just drop in 32 bit(bus) graphics chips when Commodore finally makes them? How about an 50-60 mip(maybe more) 88K(next year)? What did you add to your last Amiga? How long did you own it before you bought a new machine? -Mike