Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.advocacy
Subject: NeXT vs Mac, Whats the difference?
From: athomson@otago.ac.nz (Alastair Thomson)
Date: 22 Dec 92 16:28:09 +1300
Organization: University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

I have found the discussion in this group (comp.sys.mac.adbocacy) 
about the relative merits of the NeXT and Mac interesting. I would just like
to make some comments about why I have just chosen NeXT as the system for a 
commercial project I am working on.

1. NeXT has a great (possibly best around) development tools.
2. I will soon be able to run my NeXTstep apps on a PC system with NS486.
3. It gives me good access to database servers running on larger machines.

From a users point of view, I love the Mac, I have a PowerBook, and I wouldn't
be without it. It is simple and intuitive to use, it allows me to do the
limited multitasking I need to, Excel+Word+FAX+A few others. 

As a programmer I love the NeXT's development environment, because it allows me
to produce better apps, more cost-effectively. I like having a good GUI, but
still have the Unix tools I need, when I need them.

Two different views, for one I prefer the Mac, for one I prefer the NeXT.
I believe we are seeing NeXT moving into a new phase, their hardware is no
longer wizz-bang, even when their new RISC machine appears it still will do wat
most other similar machines do e.g. DEC's Aplha and HP's PA-RISC machines. It
will probably still have a DSP, it will probably have JPEG/MPEG compression in
hardware, it will probably do wonderful things for multimedia. Apple's PowerPC
hardware will probably do much of this as well. So what's the difference?

The difference is that NeXTstep is so good for developing front end
applications for databases such as Oracle. I believe that the big push from
NeXT both for their own hardware and PCs running NS486 will be the corporate
market, where in-house development of specialised applications is so important.
Why do you think that Chrysler have pre-ordered 30,000 copies of NS486? Simple,
to allow their programmers to develop new tools for them to use as quickly as
possible. Exactly the reason Data General has tied up a relationship with NeXT,
a DG Aviion running an Oracle server with machines running NeXTstep sounds
pretty good to me.

I believe that the NeXT vs Mac debate comes down to a matter of two markets
that are different enough for both Apple and NeXT to do quite well.
-- 
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                                    |
Alastair Thomson,                   | Phone +64-3-479-8347
University of Otago,                | Fax   +64-3-479-8529
Department of Computer Science,     | e-mail athomson@otago.ac.nz
P.O. Box 56                         |
Dunedin                             |
New Zealand                         |

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The opinions expressed here are my own, not my employers, not my wifes, not
cats, nor anyone elses. If you don't like them, then tell lets talk about it.

-- 
===============================================================================
                                    |
Alastair Thomson,                   | Phone +64-3-479-8347
University of Otago,                | Fax   +64-3-479-8529
Department of Computer Science,     | e-mail athomson@otago.ac.nz
P.O. Box 56                         |
Dunedin                             |
New Zealand                         |

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