From: caro@adobe.com (Perry A. Caro)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.advocacy
Subject: Re: NeXT vs 386 in ed. lab?
Date: 23 Jul 92 23:15:39 GMT
Article-I.D.: adobe.1992Jul23.231539.23447
Reply-To: caro@adobe.UUCP  (Perry A. Caro)
Organization: Adobe Systems Incorporated, Mountain View

In article <1992Jul20.163208.22231@newshub.ccs.yorku.ca> Donal Lynch <DJLYNCH@VM2.YorkU.Ca> writes:
>This is the NeXT advocacy list.  Advocate! Tell me why I should go with
>NeXT (or why not)!

I'm assuming you will run DOS (Windows?) on the PC network.  If you were
planning to run some UNIX variant, NeXT is the hands down winner simply
because you can't get the software you want, or it is too hard to use,
or it is too expensive.

You didn't include software costs in your projections.  For PCs, you
should count on at least HALF of your budget going to software,
particularly for the user profile you are targeting.

Your software costs could be less on the NeXT.  You might be able to
get by with the bundled Edit app in RTF mode for "wordprocessing"
(anything more elaborate will require WordPerfect or WriteNow, which
would be about equal to the PC costs).  Mail is already bundled (see
below for more).  You'll still need to buy a spreadsheet (probably
cheaper on the PC), and a database (probably cheaper on NeXT --
DataPhile -- and significantly easier to use!)

You are underestimating the "cost of ownership" for both choices, but
the PC costs are higher because:

1) You have to deal with viruses on the PC.  Don't underestimate how
costly these can be.  You have to buy virus protection software or
physically prevent users from loading floppy disks onto the system.  Any
disk may carry a virus, including those from shrink wrapped
off-the-shelf applications!  Going without any virus protection in such
an environment would be madness.  At the very least, students will lose
time recovering from the annoying but otherwise harmless viruses.  At
the worst case, students will lose files and entire disks might get
trashed.  My Norton's Anti-Virus has over 400 strains registered -- this
should give you an idea of the scope of the problem.  There are no known
viruses for NeXTSTEP (unless you count e-mail hacks like melt.eps).

2) You have to deal with training users.  This cost is much higher on
the PC.  True, your "support staff" has more PC experience and can help
out, and even "college of arts" students might have some DOS and PC
experience before entering your school.  But those that don't will be at
a significant disadvantage.  It is demonstrably easier to use and learn to
use a NeXT over a PC.

3) You'll have to be concerned about piracy.  Students may, perhaps
through ignorance, steal software from your network.  True, this is
theoretically a problem with NeXT's as well, but it is far less likely
that your students will have friends or family with NeXTs to make use of
their illgotten goods. :-)

Don't underestimate the difficulty of administrating mail on a PC
network, and it is unclear whether your shareware/freeware e-mail will
support mailing attachments of your wordprocessor documents.  The
bundled Mail app in NeXTSTEP handles attachments beautifully.

You've neglected the cost of a printer, though it's about the same for
either network (a TI microLaser can be had for a little more than $1100
US, and you get both PostScript and HP PCL).  True, you can get an HP
IIIP for less, which the PC network can use, but the NeXT can't (but
will with NS3.0, I believe).

You'll need to put maintenance in your budget as well.  Here, the PC's
win.  It is cheaper to replace a disk drive or display for a PC
than for a NeXT (UNLESS you are using DELL exclusively for support, in
which case you get excellent service for a premium price).

I think your computer novice users will be much happier with a NeXT
network.  I think the ease of use/ease of learning arguments in favor of
the NeXT are the most compelling.  Of course, the same could be said for
Macs.  I'm curious as to why you are not considering Macs?

By the way, go ahead and buy the 8meg configuation from NeXT, but make
sure you also buy 3rd party RAM to boost all your machines to at least
16meg (24meg for the server).  Eight meg is usable, but its like running
DOS Windows with only 2 meg -- not good for the impatient.

Perry
-- 
caro@adobe.com	...!{sun,decwrl}!adobe!caro   Contents: my opinions, no others
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.advocacy