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From: mce@tc.fluke.COM (Brian McElhinney)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Computer for the rest of us?
Message-ID: <5504@fluke.COM>
Date: 10 Oct 88 22:04:26 GMT
References: <430043@hpcea.CE.HP.COM> <3600031@iuvax> <69545@sun.uucp> <5303@fluke.COM> <46@moivre.ACA.MCC.COM> <5455@fluke.COM> <210@rocky8.rockefeller.edu>
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In article <210@rocky8.rockefeller.edu> lynch@rocky5.rockefeller.edu.UUCP (Berkley Lynch) writes:
>Ahem.  I have been following the discussion of the NeXT computer,
>and I just want to point out that it is certainly a contradiction
>to discuss a "low cost" computer in the same breath as the NeXT 
>box: the price discussed on the net is approx. $6000!

True if we were discussing cheap computers; I was (I thought!) discussing a
competitive marketplace.  Computers are always going to be getting faster,
stronger and leaping taller buildings -- but staying at about the same price.
80386 PCs are a half to a third the price of a 68030 box from Apple.  Given the
rumored feature set for the NeXT machine, six grand is *cheap*!  And, wonder of
wonders, the price might actually go *down*!  Imagine what a 25 MHz 68030
machine with graphics assist will cost when you are finally able to buy one
from Apple... and it still might not have DMA.  :-)

As to NeXT actually succeeding, that's a another story.  Right now there is a
division between cheap/home/personal computers and workstations.  This
distinction will disappear, and NeXT apparently intends to take advantage of
it.  I hope Jobs succeeds; after all, it looks to be the second "computer worth
criticizing"!


Brian McElhinney
mce@tc.fluke.com