Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!agate!shelby!lindy!liemandt
From: liemandt@lindy.Stanford.EDU (Joe Liemandt)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: Basic system
Message-ID: <3272@lindy.Stanford.EDU>
Date: 26 May 89 07:50:47 GMT
References: <28980001@acf11.NYU.EDU> <-290109997@hpcupt1.HP.COM> <10809@orstcs.CS.ORST.EDU> <8343@pyr.gatech.EDU>
Sender: liemandt@lindy.Stanford.EDU (Joe Liemandt)
Reply-To: liemandt@lindy.Stanford.EDU (Joe Liemandt)
Organization: Instruction and Research Information Services, Stanford Univ.
Lines: 44

In article <8343@pyr.gatech.EDU> isbell@pyr.gatech.EDU ( Charles L. Isbell) writes:
>In article <10809@orstcs.CS.ORST.EDU>, jasmerb@mist.CS.ORST.EDU (Bryce Jasmer) writes:
>>                     ... I would strongly suggest going the extra distance
>> and getting a hard disk though. An optical doesn't cut it for any serious
>> work.
>> 
>> Bryce Jasmer
>
>	Not terribly long ago, I posted a question asking exactly HOW the
>much of an impact not having a hard drive has on the system (specifically
>for a single user who is doing work, rather than across a net or somesuch)
>and got no response.
>	So, once again, how much of a difference does it really make?  And
>in what ways?  Anyone?
>
>Thanks
>Charles Isbell
>

It depends on what you consider "work".  If you are developing applications
then you need a hard disk.  The optical doesn't cut it for that.

I am sure there are many people (students?) who were considering a Mac
II, but would prefer a NeXT.  They can only afford the base unit with an
optical and are wondering if the optical only  system is good enough.
If you are in this category you have to ask yourself, what is my pain
threshold? How slow can the system be without me going nuts? A couple
of comparisons I would make off the top of my head would be (this is
only for development work on the NeXT):

Development on NeXT with only Optical =
					Microsoft Windows on an 8088
					Apple's MPW on a floppy Mac Plus
In other words: get a hard disk.					

But if you are just a user (i.e. WriteNow and Mail), then the optical is
just fine. I hear Steve Jobs only has an optical and I would believe that.


Joe Liemandt
Stanford University

Note: I tried to use an optical based machine for development, went nuts,
and ended up buying one with a hard disk.