From: mmunson@animal.es.com (Mark Munson)
Subject: Mac & NeXT camp
Reply-To: mmunson@animal.es.com (Mark Munson)
Organization: Evans & Sutherland Computer Corp., Salt Lake City, UT
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 22:31:54 GMT

In article: <1992Dec14.195557.25818@athena.mit.edu> Eric M Hermanson writes: 

ML> I'm a powerbook user. I use the thing so much, I thought about getting a 
ML> desktop computer now that I am nearly out of school. I called NeXT and got
ML> their literature on the NeXTstation Turbo and NeXTstep. I was really
ML> excited about it. I researched it, talking to proponents (in come cases,
ML> fanatics) and detractors. Then I decided to buy a Quadra. Why?
ML>
ML> Well, when I asked the simple question of why I should buy a NeXT machine, the
ML> NeXT people responded that it can do A, B, and C. Great, but I went home and
ML> realized my powerbook (180, 12mb RAM, 80mb drive, System 7.1) could A,B, and
ML> C also.
ML>
ML> So I went back to the NeXT camp and they said "Oh, we didn't know that little 
ML> toy could do that, but have you seen how NeXT can do D,E,and F."
ML>
ML> But, the Mac camp showed me how those, too, could be done on my "toy".
ML>
ML> So I went back to the NeXT camp and they said "Oh, really? I don't believe
ML> the Mac can do that. But the NeXT just does things better. It's a REAL
ML> computer."

EH> Boy, how easily you forget our discussion, M.Firoze.  You never did show me
EH> how seemlessly a Mac plugs into a Novell Network.  You never did show me
EH> how quickly a 68030 Mac Powerbook Multitasks 12 applicatoins running at the
EH> same time.  You never did show me these "apple events" talking to each other
EH> in every application that you own (which they can't do because software
EH> is not written to take advantage of apple events).  You never did show me
EH> how simple it is to obtain data from a SYBASE database and incorporate it
EH> into one of your applications.  You never did show me the CD-quality sound
EH> (44kzH) coming out the the Powerbook speakers.  You never did show me drag
EH> and drop capability as far as changing text color, or sending folders in a
EH> multimedia mail message.  You never did show me the built in Webster dictionary
EH> on your hard drive.  You never did show me Mathematica bundled on your system
EH> when you buy it.  You never did show me full MIDI and ISDN capability.  You
EH> never did show me a lot of things that NeXT can do, and Mac can't.  I DID,
EH> however, show you those things on the NeXT, and I was about to show you
EH> the multitude of new software available for NeXT until you decided to 
EH> end the learning experience and go out and buy an overpriced Quadra. (ugh).

The NeXT is a wonderfull machine with lots of good features.  But did you
tell ML the whole story?

* Did you show him the portable NeXT?
* Did you show him the DuoDock NeXT? 
* Did you show him the color-capable NeXT priced under $1500?
* Did you show him 44 KHz sound coming out of the portable NeXT?
* How about the huge library of NeXT applications?
* How about the large variety of plug-in NeXT hardware? 

* Also, since ML has both a portable Mac and a Macintosh desktop machine, he 
  can use AppleTalk Remote Access to easily gain access to his network and
  run applications on his desktop machine remotely.  Did you show him how
  a NeXT would let him work this way?

* Somehow, I don't consider it a mojor shortcoming to not have Mathematica
  in a separate box when you purchase it (assuming you really need it).

* I think the Macintosh model of "select and operate" is just as usable and
  viable as the "drag and drop" approach.

* I felt that hooking up a Mac to a Novell network was very easy.  The
  EtherNet board and the Software extensions all installed easily and
  without difficulty.  Configuring the PC was somewhat difficult though. :)

* Macs are well known for their good music software.  Hooking up a MIDI 
  adapter is very simple and hardly worth mentioning.  Did you show ML
  NeXT music software that is as good as the Macintosh titles?

* Built in ISDN sounds real nice.  Where do you get to use this "feature"?


[MGM]
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.advocacy