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From: chari@juniper.uucp (Christopher Michael Whatley)
Newsgroups: comp.arch,alt.next
Subject: Re: The NeXT Problem
Message-ID: <5498@juniper.uucp>
Date: 15 Oct 88 03:46:21 GMT
References: <26435@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Reply-To: chari@juniper.UUCP (Christopher Michael Whatley)
Organization: Austin UNIX Users' Group, Austin, TX
Lines: 47


I agree with most of what you say. But here are a few things I have picked up.

In article <26435@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> pchris@ucbarpa.Berkeley.EDU (Chris Perleberg) writes:
>
>It seems that the NeXT machine may have a few problems:
>
>1) Outdated Processor Technology: NeXT just missed the wave of fast RISC 
>   processors.  The 5 MIPS 68030 is completely out performed by the currently
>   available RISC chips (Motorola, MIPS, Sparc) that run at approximately
>   20 VAX (they claim) MIPS.  In a year or two, ECL versions of some of these
>   RISC chips will be running at 40 to 50 MIPS.

They are supposedly developing their own RISC chip that is compatible with the
030. I don't know any more than that. I read this in a rumour column. 
(Grain-o-salt) Doesn't 20 RISC MIPS equal about 5 CISC MIPS?

>3) Non-Standard Software: What software company would develop software for
>   the special features of just one computer (NeXT Step)?  How many copies of 
>   this software can they possibly sell?

IBM has licensed NeXTStep for use with AIX on the PS/2 and RT PC. If that
becomes an alternative to OS/2 then the software, which supposedly could be
ported very easily, would reach a very wide market. I don't really have any idea
how many RTs there are though. 


>
>4) Slow Optical Drive: In the past, optical drives have been significantly
>   slower (seek times) than magnetic drives.  What is the advantage of the
>   optical drive?  Cost must be less than that of the larger 330Mbyte $2K
>   magnetic drive.  But NeXT will be hurt once benchmarks come out for its
>   i/o performance (using the optical drive).

I have wondered about this myself. It would be ridiculous to use this media
for software distribution unless it was an OS update or something. I think
it would be ridiculous to sell WriteNow on a 300mb disk. One of the infoworld
reporters said that NeXT was considering using the modem for distribution. Ha!

Chris


-- 
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| Chris Whatley | mail chari@juniper.uucp        | "Ever seen the chicken  |
| 512/453-4238  |      chari@killer.dallas.tx.us |  walk?"  -Jeffrey       |
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