Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!tank!ncar!mailrus!cornell!batcomputer!kagle
From: kagle@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Jonathan C. Kagle)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Next Machine
Summary: NeXT month...  (flame)
Keywords: Hype Rumors NeXT
Message-ID: <6380@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu>
Date: 22 Sep 88 16:01:03 GMT
References: <2658@sugar.uu.net>
Reply-To: kagle@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu (Jonathan C. Kagle)
Distribution: all
Organization: Cornell Theory Center, Cornell University, Ithaca NY
Lines: 85

In article <2658@sugar.uu.net> karl@sugar.uu.net (Karl Lehenbauer) writes:
>There was a bit in InfoWorld today about Next Inc's Next Machine. 
As there has been in several other issues.  It seems that InfoWorld is
trying to beat the other publications with information about this machine,
but the specs keep changing as the machine keeps getting postponed.  Even _Time_
has been pulled into Jobs's game, publishing specifications based on rumors.
for this machine, which seems to be always coming out NeXT month...

>... every Next Machine 
>shipped will include a 300 MB read/write/erase optical disk drive.  
This would be a breakthrough, especially since these units have yet to be
delivered in quantity.

>They will also contain a 25-MHz 68030 (!), 4 MB RAM, ethernet, SCSI 
>and MIDI interfaces,
All quite reasonable in a machine that will have to compete with Apollos and
SUNs, and Macintosh IIs.

>Mach Unix, X-windows and Display Postscript, all in ROM. 
Whoa!  According to my calculations, that would add up to >15 Megabytes of
ROM.  As for the wisdom of putting the OS in ROMs on such a new machine... 

>It also comes with a 1220X960 or so gray-scale display, including monitor, 
>with a color graphics board being developed by Pixar, which if you've been
>really out of touch for a few years and don't know, is a LucasFilm spinoff, 
>now at least partially owned by Steve Jobs, that has received tumultous 
>acclaim for their computer animation work and markets a dedicated computer 
>animation system.
Loyal comp.sys.amiga readers know of Pixar's work.  Unfortunately, they seem
to have problems with programs that run on a much less expensive machine :-).
Still, Pixar has significant experience with 3-D graphics and animation.  If
such a board (and software) does come out, it could have a significant impact
upon Silicon Graphics and other high-end 3-D workstation manufacturers.

>...
>I also heard a tantalizing rumor that the 
>Next Machine has 16-bit sampled stereo DMA audio with a playback rate of 
>something like 44.1 KHz, giving it studio-quality audio capabilities if true, 
>and is of particular personal interest.
This is also an interesting possibility, though it would increase the complex-
ity of the circuitry enormously, especially if you want to avoid interference
(witness the noisy Apple //gs output).

>Steve Jobs reconfirms himself as a great visionary
Or at least a great marketer for getting all of this free publicity...  
Remember the hype around Steve Jobs's other brainchild, the Lisa?

>...
>Think of the games!   (1/2 :-)  
>
>The price is $6000, with a 40% educational discount to be available. 
Less accurate than pre-introduction specifications are pre-introduction price
lists.

>A cost comparison to the Mac II was easy, since IW ran an article in the same 
>issue about Apple's price increases.  A 4 MB RAM, 40 MB disk, 14 MHz (?) 
>68020-based Mac II costs $8100, without a display adapter, monitor or 300 MB 
>optical disk, ethernet, MIDI, Unix, software.
Didn't Jobs sign an agreement of non-competetition with Apple after he hired
so many of their employee?

>As an aside, they have certainly "fixed" Unix; that is, considering Mr. Jobs' 
>insistence on user-friendliness, I imagine that have made Unix operation 
>really turnkey, (a cheap 300 MB distribution medium helps a lot), including 
>invisibilizing and streamlining system administration.
If he actually did this, everybody in the industry would be amazed.  People
have been trying to make a user-friendly *nix for years.  As for "invisibilizing
and streamlining system administration" this has also proved to be extremely
difficult.

>If Next, Inc. can deliver the machine in quantity at that price, they're going
>to blow the Mac II, the high-end PS/2s and ATs, and all the Suns and Apollos
>right out of the water.
>
>Disclaimer:  I'm just this guy, you know.
>-- 
>-- uunet!sugar!karl, Unix BBS (713) 438-5018

	-Jonathan

______________________________________________________________________________
Jonathan C. Kagle  kagle@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu   kagle@crnlthry.BITNET
                   KTLY@cornella.ccs.cornell.edu  KTLY@cornella.BITNET
                   KTLY@vax5.ccs.cornell.edu      KTLY@crnlvax5.BITNET
The Cornell Theory Center claims no responsibility for the ravings of the above.