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Verbum Article |
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| The Implications of the Cube | |||
| "The
NeXT computer is still so new that it's difficult to tell how it will
evolve. At one extreme, it could supersede everything else on the market.
At the other, it could become extinct before it gets off the ground. In
which direction will it actually go?"
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 hen
former Apple wonder to Steve Jobs announced in 1989 that his new company
was bringing out the next generation of computer, excitement spread
throughout the industry. Now that the NeXT computer has been unveiled,
everyone continues to be intrigued with what has been dubbed "the
Cube." What has created all the excitement is that the Cube is indeed
a bold step forward. For one thing, it establishes true multitasking (via
Unix, and accepted standard). From a graphics standpoint, its Display
PostScript provides far better WYSIWYG than other computers, and its 400
dpi laser printer is noticeably sharper than the current 300 dpi standard,
particularly with halftones. The monitor's screen, even at four shades of
gray, is remarkably sharp at 92 dpi. As for sound, the Cube has the
built-in capability for CD-quality stereo -- for both recording and
playing (with the right software/hardware tools).
Nearly everything about the NeXT computer is bigger and better. It provides a huge storage on both hard and removable disks. A magneto-optical disk holds as much as 320 conventional Mac disks and can't be affected by magnetic fields and x-rays. This disk is about as slow as a conventional floppy, but its speed will be improved, probably by the end of this year. In any event, an internal hard drive is a virtual necessity (pun intended) -- the included 40 MB drive is used only for swapping chunks of virtual memory in and out of RAM. I strongly suggest adding either of the two "real" hard disks that are available, 330 MB or 660 MB. It's shocking how fast my 330 MB drive filled up! Linotronic output is accomplished by printing to disk and transferring the resultant file to Mac or PC format. The NeXT computer can be connected to other systems by several means: (1) Ethernet is built-in; (2) MacLinkPlus/PC is an inexpensive modem-like system for transferring files with a cable; (3) the Cayman GatorBox is an expensive but elegant hardware connection into PC networks; and (4) the DaynaFile is an external floppy drive for the NeXT that reads 3 1/2- and 5 1/4-inch disks directly. |
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