From: alex@laos (Alex D. Nghiem)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.misc,comp.sys.next.advocacy,comp.sys.next
Subject: NeXT's vs. mainframes -- sales of 6000 machines
Keywords: mainframes, NeXT
Date: 21 Jul 92 15:46:22 GMT
Reply-To: alex@pencom.com
Organization: Pencom Software

> Path:  
pensoft!uudell!news.dell.com!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!magnus.acs.ohio- 
state.edu!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!cleveland.Freenet.Edu!aj681
> From: aj681@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Carlin Wiegner)
> Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.advocacy
> Subject: NeXT vs. Mainframes...
> Message-ID: <1992Jul18.183940.29052@usenet.ins.cwru.edu>
> Date: 18 Jul 92 18:39:40 GMT
> Sender: news@usenet.ins.cwru.edu
> Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, (USA)
> Lines: 19
> Nntp-Posting-Host: cwns16.ins.cwru.edu
> 
> 
> ok, guys....
> I have a friend who is in a position to help make a 6,000 person
> company (every person has a computer, thus 6,000 machines! big 
> big deal!) switch from their IBM mainframes over to NeXTs. The
> only problem is I need help coming up with a good presentation
> to give to president/ceo/owner of the company to form a comittee.
> I know NeXTs are for them (they will still need a VAX or two to
> do some of the insurance processing but in general I think they
> can switch over... Please, I think this kind of deal would not
> only help out the company (they do a lot of mission critical
> apps) but also give NeXT a big deal to break through the MIS
> types... Thanx ahead of time... Please post responses I think
> this discussion would benefit from an open forum basis. This
> will show how far NeXT has really come and how far they have
> to go...
> CW
> -- 
> 

Carlin:

The company should definitely switch over to NeXTs, since mainframes are slowly  
being phased out due to various reasons:

* cost (hardware and software)
* maintenance
* no new software
* declining pool of talent -- in most cases, schools are not using mainframes  
anymore.  Therefore, it's difficult to get new talent with mainframe expertise


The NeXTs offers a host of features, including:

* cost -- dollar for dollar, you cannot find a better machine for improved  
productivity (see below for more details)
* easy setup -- it takes about 10 minutes to unpack a machine and get it up and  
running
* great developmenet tools, which is central to developing mission critical  
apps -- 3.0 has some really nice enhancements
* ease of use (believe me, this does not exist on a mainframe)
* LOTS of bundled software and lots of free software from the net
* great mail program -- this is one of the most overlooked advantages of a NeXT  
machine: the ease of the mail program is simply indispensable in a corporation.   
We use it to send ad layouts, spreadsheets, source code, etc. by simply drag  
and drop: no more uuencode, tar and compress!
* built-in networking and good system administration tools

From your posting, I'm assuming that there is some database that's running on a  
VAX -- NeXTSTEP 3.0 offers a database kit which allows you to implement  
front-ends to database servers.  If you can provide me with more information  
about how these machines will be used, then I can provide a stronger case.  For  
example:

* word processing -- WordPerfect can share files with the PC and Mac versions  
(the NeXT can read DOS and Mac disk without problems)
* desktop publishing -- Frame is in its third release and RightBrain has just  
released PasteUp, which promises to outdo Quark Express
* graphics design -- there are many drawing packages, including Draw, Adobe  
Illustrator (the best implementation on any platform), Create, etc
* spreadsheet -- NeXT has Improv, which is superior to 1-2-3 and can read 1-2-3  
files
* DOS emulation -- SoftPC from Insignia allows you to run virtually any PC  
program at the speed of an AT.  With the 3.0 enhancements, it should be even  
faster
* Mac emulation -- Executor from Abacus allows you to currently run the major  
Mac packages, such as Excel and Word.  By the end of the year, Abacus expects  
to release a product that allows you to run any Mac software
* scientific work -- Mathematica exists and there are some more math packages  
being ported
* documentation preparation -- the Digital Librarian (bundled) is useful for  
indexing large documents, and there are software packages which can optical  
character recognition (OCR)
* <PLUG FOR OUR PRODUCT -- DON'T FLAME ME> if you need X compatibility, you can  
always consider co-Xist, our rootless implementation of the X11R4

Additionally, 3.0 offers Novell and Appletalk compatability, which is useful if  
the company decides to purchase PC's and Macs in the future.  If you need  
clarification on any of these points, please feel free to contact me.


Best regards,


Alex Duong Nghiem          Phone: (512) 343-1111
Pencom Software            Fax:   (512) 343-9650   
9050 Capital of TX Hwy N.  Mail:  alex@pencom.com
Suite 300                  Mail:  co-Xist_support@pencom.com
Austin, TX 78759           Mail:  co-Xist_info@pencom.com
USA
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