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- Xref: sparky comp.sys.next.misc:18021 comp.sys.next.advocacy:1338 comp.sys.next:199
- Path: sparky!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!swrinde!news.dell.com!uudell!pensoft!usenet
- From: alex@laos (Alex D. Nghiem)
- Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.misc,comp.sys.next.advocacy,comp.sys.next
- Subject: NeXT's vs. mainframes -- sales of 6000 machines
- Keywords: mainframes, NeXT
- Message-ID: <1992Jul21.154622.22534@pencom.com>
- Date: 21 Jul 92 15:46:22 GMT
- Sender: usenet@pencom.com (Usenet Psuedo User)
- Reply-To: alex@pencom.com
- Organization: Pencom Software
- Lines: 106
-
- > Path:
- pensoft!uudell!news.dell.com!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-
- state.edu!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!cleveland.Freenet.Edu!aj681
- > From: aj681@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Carlin Wiegner)
- > Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.advocacy
- > Subject: NeXT vs. Mainframes...
- > Message-ID: <1992Jul18.183940.29052@usenet.ins.cwru.edu>
- > Date: 18 Jul 92 18:39:40 GMT
- > Sender: news@usenet.ins.cwru.edu
- > Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, (USA)
- > Lines: 19
- > Nntp-Posting-Host: cwns16.ins.cwru.edu
- >
- >
- > ok, guys....
- > I have a friend who is in a position to help make a 6,000 person
- > company (every person has a computer, thus 6,000 machines! big
- > big deal!) switch from their IBM mainframes over to NeXTs. The
- > only problem is I need help coming up with a good presentation
- > to give to president/ceo/owner of the company to form a comittee.
- > I know NeXTs are for them (they will still need a VAX or two to
- > do some of the insurance processing but in general I think they
- > can switch over... Please, I think this kind of deal would not
- > only help out the company (they do a lot of mission critical
- > apps) but also give NeXT a big deal to break through the MIS
- > types... Thanx ahead of time... Please post responses I think
- > this discussion would benefit from an open forum basis. This
- > will show how far NeXT has really come and how far they have
- > to go...
- > CW
- > --
- >
-
- Carlin:
-
- The company should definitely switch over to NeXTs, since mainframes are slowly
- being phased out due to various reasons:
-
- * cost (hardware and software)
- * maintenance
- * no new software
- * declining pool of talent -- in most cases, schools are not using mainframes
- anymore. Therefore, it's difficult to get new talent with mainframe expertise
-
-
- The NeXTs offers a host of features, including:
-
- * cost -- dollar for dollar, you cannot find a better machine for improved
- productivity (see below for more details)
- * easy setup -- it takes about 10 minutes to unpack a machine and get it up and
- running
- * great developmenet tools, which is central to developing mission critical
- apps -- 3.0 has some really nice enhancements
- * ease of use (believe me, this does not exist on a mainframe)
- * LOTS of bundled software and lots of free software from the net
- * great mail program -- this is one of the most overlooked advantages of a NeXT
- machine: the ease of the mail program is simply indispensable in a corporation.
- We use it to send ad layouts, spreadsheets, source code, etc. by simply drag
- and drop: no more uuencode, tar and compress!
- * built-in networking and good system administration tools
-
- From your posting, I'm assuming that there is some database that's running on a
- VAX -- NeXTSTEP 3.0 offers a database kit which allows you to implement
- front-ends to database servers. If you can provide me with more information
- about how these machines will be used, then I can provide a stronger case. For
- example:
-
- * word processing -- WordPerfect can share files with the PC and Mac versions
- (the NeXT can read DOS and Mac disk without problems)
- * desktop publishing -- Frame is in its third release and RightBrain has just
- released PasteUp, which promises to outdo Quark Express
- * graphics design -- there are many drawing packages, including Draw, Adobe
- Illustrator (the best implementation on any platform), Create, etc
- * spreadsheet -- NeXT has Improv, which is superior to 1-2-3 and can read 1-2-3
- files
- * DOS emulation -- SoftPC from Insignia allows you to run virtually any PC
- program at the speed of an AT. With the 3.0 enhancements, it should be even
- faster
- * Mac emulation -- Executor from Abacus allows you to currently run the major
- Mac packages, such as Excel and Word. By the end of the year, Abacus expects
- to release a product that allows you to run any Mac software
- * scientific work -- Mathematica exists and there are some more math packages
- being ported
- * documentation preparation -- the Digital Librarian (bundled) is useful for
- indexing large documents, and there are software packages which can optical
- character recognition (OCR)
- * <PLUG FOR OUR PRODUCT -- DON'T FLAME ME> if you need X compatibility, you can
- always consider co-Xist, our rootless implementation of the X11R4
-
- Additionally, 3.0 offers Novell and Appletalk compatability, which is useful if
- the company decides to purchase PC's and Macs in the future. If you need
- clarification on any of these points, please feel free to contact me.
-
-
- Best regards,
-
-
- Alex Duong Nghiem Phone: (512) 343-1111
- Pencom Software Fax: (512) 343-9650
- 9050 Capital of TX Hwy N. Mail: alex@pencom.com
- Suite 300 Mail: co-Xist_support@pencom.com
- Austin, TX 78759 Mail: co-Xist_info@pencom.com
- USA
- ****************************
- * NeXTMail gladly accepted *
- ****************************
-