From: bcoleman@hayes.com (Bill Coleman)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.advocacy
Subject: Re: Macintosh advocacy (really!)
Date: 11 Nov 92 10:39:38 EDT
Organization: Hayes Microcomputer Products, Norcross, GA

In article <1992Nov1.041154.735@seldon.fdn.org>, thierry@seldon.fdn.org (Thierry CHARLES) writes:
> In article <1992Oct21.003624.28831@javelin.sim.es.com> mmunson@animal.es.com  
> (Mark Munson) writes:
>> Why buy a Mac over some other computer?  Here's a partial list of
>> the most often cited reasons:
> 
> Responses for NeXTSTEP (a multi-plaform operating system) :
> 
>> Consistent User Interface
>>
> No comments. Unix is completely hidden on the NeXTSTEP environment. 

From what I've observed with earlier versions of NeXTStep, this isn't
true. Things would have to have improved a LOT in terms of concealing
Unix.

The biggest problem, IMHO, is that you have to UNDERSTAND Unix in order
to troubleshoot problems with the machine. For a personal workstation,
that's a tall order.

> And the user interface is really the more consistent of the computer 
> industry.

Raw, unadulterated conjecture without the slightest shread of proof.

>> Established Software Base
>>
> Macintosh is trully superior now. 

Thank you.

> But with NeXTSTEP 486, NeXT will become superior 

That remains to be seen. Perhaps NeXT will be quitely ignored, like it has
been to date.

> (standard Windows and DOS apps will run in trully multitasking under  
> NeXTSTEP).

(Yawn) They do this today under OS/2 v2.0. Big deal. Users don't care about
"trully multitasking."

>> Professional Level Software
>>
> NeXTSTEP is probably globally more professionnal than the Macintosh.

Again, raw, unadulterated conjecture without the slightest shread of proof.

>> Finder & double clicking documents
>>
> Standard in NeXTSTEP.

GOOD!

>> Customizable Finder options
>> 
> This is more general on NeXTSTEP, since every applications is customizable 
> (for each user) in using a default (sort of preferences database) universal  
> mechanism.

Interesting. "More general" may not necessarily be "better."

>> Long file names
>> 
> 250 max under Unix BSD.

Yow.

>> Standard Installer
>>
> Idem on the NeXT (more universal with a fabulous feature: automated anonymous  
> ftp access of installation packages).

Good.

>> Balloon Help
>>
> An Help Object (hypertext, multimedia (text, sound, graphic, ...)

Note that you can put multimedia into baboon help, too. I don't think anyone
wants a 500M help file for their application.

Realistically, the industry needs to evolve the hardare base to store more
information for this kind of help -- or transition to simple, highly 
integrated intelligent applications that don't require help to use.

>> System Level Font Support
>>
> As simple as on the Macintosh.

Ayeh.

>> System Level Extension Support
>> 
> As simple as on the Macintosh (with the installer packages).

No, the Mac is simpler. You don't need to run an installer to add extensions.
You simply drag them into your Extensions folder and they extend the system
on the next reboot.

>> System Level Print Monitor
>> 
> More powerfull and standard on every Unix environnement.

More powerful I'll believe. (*&^*&^ can't spool with my AppleTalk IW II)
But the reference to Unix scares me. I thought NeXTStep hid all evidence of
Unix.

>> System Level Communications
>> 
> Unix standard (like uucp). NeXTSTEP includes in standard ISDN support (with  
> high level applications).

For either machine, you need an external adapter to do ISDN. 

NeXTStep doesn't include anything like the CommToolBox, does it? (That's
a trick question....)

>> Printer Treatment
>>
> You simple select the target printer in the Print Panel (not necessary to 
> make a stupid previous selection in a selector Panel).

(The previous selection isn't "stupid". It is necessary for your documents
to understand the exact size of the printer involved. Since printing action
to each device results is slightly different page sizes, selecting the
printer for the document beforehand allows applications to exactly represent
the size of the page, and the placement of the printed information on the
screen.)

>> Memory Treatment
>>
> Dynamic (Yes!) virtual memory on multi-filesystems.

Good.

>> Built in SCSI support
>> 
> SCSI-2 support.

Good.

>> Built in Video support
>> 
> On every NeXT (choose B&W or Color). The Cube can have both.

I thought the Cube was now considered a doorstop.

>> Built in Communications Support
>>
> See above.

See above.

>> Built in Audio Support
>>
> Standard, up to 16bits linear, 44 KHz on 2 channels or 88 Khz.

Good.

>> Built-In Networking
>>
> Ethernet standard, with TCP/IP, AppleTalk and Novell protocol support.

Do all these protocols work out of the box? (TCP/IP with NFS, I believe)
Does the NeXT support AppleTalk and Novell without any additional hardware
or software, or do you have to add software to support these?

>> No-conflict hardware installation
>>
> Of course! Only happens on a PC!

Amen.

>> SuperDrive / Multi-format drives (3.5" standard)
>>
> Read Macintosh, NeXT, Unix and DOS (including 5.0 modifications) 3.5" disks.

Good.

>> Auto-Eject Drives
>>
> Of course! With a plus: Automatically for removable SCSI devices (without 
> any INIT or add-on driver).

Good.

>> Multiple monitor support
>>
> Of course, in standard.

Can you use multiple monitors as one giant desktop (Something our PC breathren
will be unable to do, regardless of NeXTStep 486)

>> 32-bit Color QuickDraw
>>
> And here True 32 bits : using the 24 + 8 for transparency in standard (alpha  
> channel) in 21" displays!

Uh, 32bit QD has "True 32 bits" as well. Indeed, it uses 24 bits of color plus
an 8 bit alpha channel. I bet they even store the data in chunky-planar form.
I wonder where NeXT got that idea....

>> Apple Desktop Bus
>>
> Directly on the NeXT since one month.

Good.

>> SANE Standard Apple Numerics Environment
>>
> No longer necessary with the power and functionalities of FPU nowadays.

SANE is necessary. While FPUs will perform calculations (so you no longer need
a library of code to simulate floating point), the accuracy and proper action
of these calculations must be maintained. FPUs have to do the right thing
when confronted with situations like NaN's (Not a Number) used in calcuations.

SANE ensures that calcuations are performed to the correct accuracy, and that
all the exceptional conditions are taken care of. Unfortunately, you can't
lump all that into "oh, we have an FPU." The FPU doesn't do it all.

>> Application Support (QuickTime, HyperCard)
>>
> HyperCard is great, but IB is far more powerful and more future oriented: it 
> is fully integrated with the system

Fine.

And QuickTime?

>> Multi-Tasking
>> 
> True pre-emptive multi-tasking with multi-threading (heterogeneous  
> mluti-processors).

Good.

>> Publish & Subscribe
>>
> Present, and more powerfull. No need to publish and subscribe: simply Copy and  
> "Paste and Link (Cmd+Shift+V)"! And works over the network and the platforms!

Publish and Subscribe works like Copy and Paste. And Pub and Sub works over
networks.

Explain exactly how NeXT Step is more powerful.

Gee, and the poster never did mention AppleEvents....

>> Resources & ResEdit
> Interface Builder simply edit the objects.

Good.

>> WorldScript / Foreign language support
>>
> Seven language available for all the applications in standard.

Seven? A ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha..... Seven? Ha ha ha ha ha ha....

I would lay odds they are all Roman-scripted.

Does the NeXT handle Kanji? Chinese? Arabic? Hebrew? I thought not.

>> Innovative Portable Design
>>
> No yet a NeXT portable. 

Ouch!

> But with NeXTSTEP 486... 

There's little innovative aboiut 486 portables...

>> First-class documentation
>>
> As on the NeXT, with a complete electronic indexed version.

Good.

--

From what I can see, the NeXT has some good elements. But I don't think,
as an Apple developer, I'll start being too worried yet. Even with NeXTStep
486 coming. Windows and OS/2 seem like a more present danger.

-- 
Bill Coleman, AA4LR                ! CIS: 76067,2327    AppleLink: D1958
Principal Software Engineer        ! Packet Radio: AA4LR @ W4QO
Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc. ! UUCP: uunet!hayes!bcoleman
POB 105203 Atlanta, GA 30348 USA   ! Internet: bcoleman%hayes@uunet.uu.net
Disclaimer: "My employer doesn't pay me to have opinions."
Quote: "The same light shines on vineyards that makes deserts." -Steve Hackett.

Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.advocacy,comp.sys.amiga.advocacy