Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!utastro!werner
From: werner@utastro.UUCP (Werner Uhrig)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: The NeXT Problem
Summary: software distribution is a small problem only.
Message-ID: <3257@utastro.UUCP>
Date: 16 Oct 88 10:31:37 GMT
References: <26435@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <5498@juniper.uucp>
Organization: U. Texas, Astronomy, Austin, TX
Lines: 46


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> >4) Slow Optical Drive:  Cost must be less than of the larger 330Mbyte $2K
 
> It would be ridiculous to use this media for software distribution.
> [just as] ridiculous as to sell WriteNow on a 300mb disk. An Infoworld
> reporters said that NeXT was considering using the modem for distribution.

	now, a 330Meg Winchester isn't much help either!  but you CAN take
	your optical pseudo-CD to the store and have them record a copy
	of the software while you pay and pick up your manual. They could
	even use some form of hardware protection in the "master" disk to
	prevent pirating (Zeus help us!) as all the software you are likely
	to ever acquire (pay for) surely will fit together with the OS on
	one disk.

	and distributing via modem isn't impractical at all.  Consider the
	update distribution solved also.  Go, NeXT !!!

	actually, what makes anyone assume that you can't use old-style
	floppy drives with the machine?  just because one doesn't come
	with the machine means nothing - they simply assume that we already
	have one lying around somewhere ... :-)  a new market for those
	old external 400k drives of the Mac;  useful to install software
	on the NeXT optical platter.
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