home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.system
- Path: sparky!uunet!psinntp!python!raven!short
- From: short@microcom.com (Todd Short)
- Subject: Re: Windows NT (Not a flame.)
- Message-ID: <1992Jul22.123632.20162@python.microcom.com>
- Sender: dan@python.microcom.com (Dan Bishop)
- Nntp-Posting-Host: raven
- Reply-To: short@microcom.com
- Organization: Microcom, Inc.
- References: <neilg.703384628@sfu.ca>
- Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 12:36:32 GMT
- Lines: 46
-
- This is not a flame, the Mac needn't worry:
-
- Just because they are charging $69 for the PRE-BETA SDK, in many
- trade rags, the rumored price of Windows NT will be in the $500
- range. That may be fine for a DEC (Alpha) customer, or maybe
- for an RS6000. But for PC's it's unreasonable to ask a non-
- corporate user to shell out $500 for an OS! DOS itself can be
- had for $60 with Windows adding another $100. OS/2 can be had
- for $150 ($49.95 for Windows users until 7/31/92!) (less than
- DOS/Windows!). Most OS's are packed with their systems, and the
- user is not (usually) charged for them (the Mac for instance).
- Only if an OS is "bundled" with a system will it do well. Look
- at many other computers, and see what I mean. I'm not saying NT
- will be a bad product (considering it's Unix heritage), but
- paying more for an OS than for the apps to run under it is
- ridiculous. In addition, unless it can truly run 16-bit Windows
- (likely) AND DOS (unlikely, OS/2 2.0 has some problems with
- these, I've heard) applications, it won't do well. Look at how
- many Unix like OS's are out there that come with machines.
-
- In addition have you heard the requirements for Windows NT? It's
- worse than OS/2, few machines have that setup. Those who are
- able to bundle an OS with a machine can make sure that the OS
- will run on the machine they make. DEC, Apple, IBM non-PC's,
- Sun, etc.
-
- OS Machine Bundled with Successful?
- -----------------------------------------------------------
- DOS IBM PC's & compatibles YES!
- Windows Some IBM PC's & compatibles YES
- CP/M Z80 & 8080 PC's YES
- OS/2 None Barely
- MacOS MacIntosh's YES
- A/UX None (I think) Barely
- VMS Dec VAX YES
- Ultrix Dec VAX YES
- Unix & like Many machines YES
-
- In many situations, simple economics decide the fate of OS's.
- (Remember OS/2's pre-v2.0 price?!?)
-
- -Todd Short
- /* short@python.eng.microcom.com */
- /* I don't own a Mac, but I'd like to play with one on TV. */
-
-
-