From: feijai@endor.byu.edu (Sean Luke)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.advocacy
Subject: Re: Macintosh advocacy (really!)
Date: 24 Nov 92 04:31:04 GMT
Reply-To: sean@digaudio.byu.edu

In article <6380.2b1125d3@hayes.com>  writes:
>In article <1992Nov13.235210.10563@cuug.ab.ca>, wilcoxt@cuug.ab.ca  
(Terrance Wilcox 260-8100) writes:




>He didn't give any details, man! How can I draw any conclusions or debate  
the
>point without details. I haven't seen it. I labelled it "interesting" and
>pointed how that "more general" may not be "better."


Having worked extensively on both systems, I'll give the details, and my  
general feeling about it:

The Mac's *easily modifiable* defaults, resources, fonts, etc., are  
global.  Every program uses the same System resources, unless you fool  
around with ResEdit or hold down the option key while opening on the  
Font/DA mover, etc.

The NeXT handles defaults in a semi-global, semi-local way.  Defaults can  
be set globally for applications, or locally, per-application.  Resources  
(say, Fonts or Sounds) can likewise be used exclusively by certain users,  
groups, or globally.  Or by just an application.  And applications can be  
modified quickly because they are not actually one file--they're bundles  
or resource files.

All-in-all, the NeXT's arrangement is much more flexible, though much of  
this has yet to be tapped.  But the Mac's arrangement is simpler, which  
works better in a single-user environment typical to the Mac.  It depends  
on what you do.


>>>NeXTStep doesn't include anything like the CommToolBox, does it?  
(That's
>>>a trick question....)
>>>
>> No, the PhoneKit and ISDN Kit are better (more versatile). The PhoneKit
>> makes it fairly simple to create phone applications. Is the CommToolBox
>> that versatile?
>
>Yes. Apple added the Telephony manager this year.


Actually, I think the PhoneKit and ISDN Kit are more versatile, since they  
are wholly object-oriented and better-integrated into the system.  But  
let's not get into an OOP war here.


>> Well, if I choose Page Setup for paper size before I print, why should  
the
>> application need to know what printer I want to use. The chooser is
>> merely placed on the Print panel.
>
>Because the paper size (the printable area) changes for each different  
type
>of printer. While the LaserWriter and the ImageWriter (for example) may
>both allow 8 1/2" by 11" paper...


NeXT's arrangement assumes that all the printers the NeXT will use have a  
standard page size, or will crop or shrink to that size in very unusual  
situations.  These days (it's 1992, guy) almost every printer has pretty  
close to the same page size, since most new printers are inkjets or  
lasers.  Given this assumption, NeXT's setup makes a great deal of sense  
compared to the Mac's arrangement, as I described on an earlier post.  I  
frankly expect Apple to start moving in that direction soon.


>>>I thought the Cube was now considered a doorstop.
>>
>> Like the Quadra 900 & Mac IIfx? :). If it still works it's fine. NeXT  
is
>> still selling Cubes.
>
>Something I picked up from a previous NeXT-o-phile posting. I was under
>the impression that the old Cube was considered underpowered. Why would
>people keeping buying underpowered NeXT computers?


No.  NeXT-o-philes are complaining that NeXT is not making cards to use in  
the Cube, so it is becoming only as useful as an equivalent NeXTstation.



>> They work out of the box as clients. The NeXT has a couple of ethernet
>> ports, so you shouldn't need extra hardware.
>
>With no software? It comes built in? Good.


Out-of-the-box.  It's really nice.  And they work with Novell, NFS,  
NetInfo, and AppleShare out of the box.





>> Yup sure can. Hopefully NeXTSTEP 486 can handle it too (show the  
Windozers
>> how it's done).
>
>There are nasty hardware problems to overcome in the PC platform. Nasty.


Yes indeed.  NS/486 requires some big stuff.



>> Has Apple defined a standard for that alpha channel yet. Last I heard,
>> there was no standard, so it was every app for itself. On the NeXT it's
>> standardized.
>
>Ouch. I wasn't aware of this.

Yep.  NeXT got the idea from Pixar, not from Apple.  Come to think of it,  
Apple got the idea from....


>>>And QuickTime?
>>
>> When I want postage-stamp sized movies, I'll go to a cineplex.
>
>Wait a second.


Yes.  QuickTime is cool.  NeXT needs it.


>I agree. QuickTime in a WP is stupid.

I disagree.  QuickTime in a WP is very useful for on-line how-to manuals  
in education.  An organ professor at BYU will soon use QuickTime in  
WordPerfect to explain stuff, then show how to do, say, a thumb-roll.   
Neat stuff, and very useful.


>>>Publish and Subscribe works like Copy and Paste. And Pub and Sub works  
over
>>>networks.
>>>
>>>Explain exactly how NeXT Step is more powerful.
>>
>> It's easier to add to apps (in development) on the NeXT. I've never
>> heard as much complaining as I did about Publish & Subscribe  
implementation.
>
>Well I can believe the easier to add in programming argument.


NeXT also has a great deal *more* interprocess communication, including  
Services, Distributed Objects, true Drag-and-Drop (guess where Microsoft  
got the idea?), etc.  


>>>Gee, and the poster never did mention AppleEvents....
>>
>> Distributed Objects. Too new to compare.
>
>Interesting.

And, of course, all the tons of UNIX macro facility stuff.


>I believe you can get language extensions for System 7.1. Since I don't
>know any non-Roman scripted languages myself, I haven't looked into this
>issue.

The NeXT has Kanji as well, though it's not available in the States.  :-(


>>>
>>>Does the NeXT handle Kanji? Chinese? Arabic? Hebrew? I thought not.
>>
>> The NeXT Kanji release does. Ask the Japanese.
>
>The Kanji release supports Chinese Arabic and Hebrew? Interesting.


No.  But  the Kanji release supports Chinese characters, of course.   
(that's why it's called "Kanji").  As far as Arabic and Hebrew go, the  
NeXT can't do 'em.  No market right now.


>> NeXT is moving toward Unicode. Is Apple?
>
>I think so. Ask 'em.


No.  The NeXT is *at* Unicode.  It's called FatBinaries.  Apple's a LONG  
way off.




--

Sean Luke
Brigham Young University                   MILK:  It Comes From Cows
sean@digaudio.byu.edu  
NeXTmail and nifty Mac stuff welcome