From: zmonster@athena.mit.edu (Eric M Hermanson)
Subject: Re: Need to convince boss 486's are *not* w
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 22:28:38 GMT

In article <1jl75mINN4a8@shelley.u.washington.edu> jaesyn@carson.u.washington.edu (Jason Smith) writes:
>	Well, I expected a can of worms to be opened, but *this* was almost
>ridiculous. :)
>
>I'm thinking of the needs of fairly non-knowledgable people doing very 
>general work.
>
>	If it's a Mac OS, I can be in-house support.  OS/2, I could most
>likely pick up easily, but I've heard too many nightmares from netop friends
>about Windows and WFW to be excited about it.
>
>	In order, we're looking for : 	Ease of use	(Mac)
>					Networking	(Mac)
>					Flexibility/upgradability
>							(Mac or NeXTStep)
>					Compatability	(OS/2)
>					Programming	(NeXTStep 486)
>

Ease of Use:

It is a matter of opinion which is easier to use, Mac or NeXT.  I still say
NeXT has a much more structured, consistent and powerful user interface.

Networking: 

To say that Mac has the best networking is to say that a Yugo could out 
Ferrari.  Appletalk is SLOW and error prone.  Even MacWeek magazine agrees
with that one.  The NeXT networking environment is configured using a bundled
program with an easy to use graphical interface.  A network of systems
running NeXTSTEP can be set up just as easily as Mac, or even easier.  Once
the server system is turned on and established as being the server, networking
other NeXT systems is done by simply plugging them into the network and 
turning them on - VOILA - the NeXTSTEP network is set up automatically by
the server machine.  To add more machines, simply plug them in and turn them
on.  Also, NeXT understands Novell and Appletalk in case you want to network
PC's or Mac's to the NeXT server.

Compatability:

OS/2??  Wrong.  NeXTSTEP is fully compliant with many standards:  Postscript,
TCP/IP, POSIX, unix sendmail, Appletalk, Novell, UNIX, built in FAX, Ethernet,
FTP, DOS and Mac filesystem support, TIFF, EPS, RTF, 3270 emulation, JPEG,
SybaseOracle databases, High sierra CD-ROM.  All of these things come bundled
with NeXTSTEP.  NeXTSTEP 486 will also support Windows and DOS programs to
run side by side with NeXTSTEP windows.

Programming:

NeXTSTEP.  That's all you need to know.

Price/Performance:

With over 250 Megs of bundled software (excluding developing tools its about
100 megs), UNIX filesystem and networking, powerful 33Mhz 68040 with a
Motorola 56001 Digital Signal Processor for CD quality sound, NeXT definately
leads in price/performance.


>	The boss also is a speed freak... he wants the fastest, best system
>even if he doesn't need the power, so it'd be most likely either Quadras
>(which I think is overkill), or 486's (which I also think is overkill, but may
>make Windows tolerable speedwise.)
>
>	My proposal?  One Quadra 950 server, and clustered 700's or IIvx's.
>

Argh!  A Quadra server system configured properly will cost near $10,000.
You can get a NeXT, with all bundled software necessary for networking,
file serving, and the like for under $6000 (list).  NeXTSTEP 486 will also
run on the new Pentium chips (586), so if you really really need speed,
buy a Pentium chip and get NeXTSTEP to run on it.  If you need things now,
Settle for a 66Mhz 486/DX2 running NeXTSTEP 486.  This configuration is 
even faster than the current NeXT systems (unless of course you take advantage
of NeXT's multi-processing capabilities and add on extra CPU's).

>
>	
>Jason M Smith
>University of Washington
>Physics/Math
>

Eric


Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.advocacy