From: gad@eclipse.its.rpi.edu (Garance A. Drosehn)
Subject: Re: specifically comparing NeXT with Mac...
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 04:59:58 GMT

ibhan@husc8.harvard.edu (Ishir Bhan) writes:
> Hey, I have a SupraFaxModem which will soon have voice support.  Fax
> software is available to support the modem now.  Voice software will be
> when voice support is added.  How would I use this on the NeXT?  Nuff
> said.  These are the kind of shortcomings I'm talking about.  

Hmm, what does it do?  Fax a copy of your voice?

If you want voice *control* of your Fax software, you should be able to do  
it on the NeXT with Simon Says.  That's what you can do *now* with the NeXT,  
with whatever fax modem you have (as long as that modem works with the  
NeXT).  I'm not sure how well this would work in practice (as I don't like  
voice-controlled things, simply because my office is too noisy), but in  
theory it's available on the NeXT right now.

Again though, even if you are right on the voice-software for the fax modem,  
that isn't "Nuff said".  People still want machines for what they (the  
individual person) wants them for.  I don't care for voice-activiated stuff  
much, so your example is utterly pointless to me.  There are things that I  
miss from my Mac (enough that I still own Macs), but I spend about 95% of my  
time on the NeXT, because there's only a few things left that I (personally)  
need a Mac for.

Other people's mileage will vary, of course.  If NeXT doesn't do what the  
person wants, get a Mac.  If you really think that voice-activiated fax  
modem software is the only reason you want to buy a computer, get a Mac  
(once that software is available, I notice you say that it isn't here yet).

I have no problem making that kind of recommendation to people every day  
(which is to say, I *do* recommend Macs to some people, in my duties working  
with the micro store on campus).  It's just that for a lot of people who  
would buy high-end Macs, I find that the NeXT is a very viable alternative.   
For some individuals, it's even a very attractive alternative.

There is no doubt that it would be nicer if NeXT lowered the prices on the  
entry-level color machine.  Getting color on the NeXT is a bit pricey,  
compared to getting color on a Mac.  

The actual recommendation that I would make to any individual, however,  
pretty much depends on what that specific person is interested in doing.   
Debating 8 million possible "what-if" scenarios in any of these advocacy  
groups is pretty much a waste of time.  Yes, you can construct "what-if"s  
where the person would be stupid to buy a NeXT, and I can construct ones  
where the person would be stupid to get the Mac.  What's the point of  
debating "what-if" cases?  All I want to do is provide an accurate picture  
of the machine's capabilities to a real customer who is standing in front of  
me, planning on making a real purchase for a set of real reasons.  I can't  
sell to a "what-if" customer, and I have too many things to do in real life  
for me to waste time worrying about such customers.  Your "Nuff Said"  
comment doesn't help me with a single real customer.

As for *me* as a customer, my vote is for a Color Turbo NeXTstation.  No  
question in my mind.  Of course, as a second machine, a Powerbook duo would  
be really really really really nice to have...   :-)

--
Garance Alistair Drosehn     =     gad@eclipse.its.rpi.edu
ITS Systems Programmer            (handles NeXT-type mail)
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute;           Troy NY    USA
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.advocacy