Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.advocacy,comp.os.ms-windows.advocacy Path: gmd.de!newsserver.jvnc.net!darwin.sura.net!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu! math.ohio-state.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!csn!nugget.rmNUG.ORG! nugget.rmNUG.ORG!garrett From: garr...@renaissance.com Subject: PC Magazine NeXTSTEP Review Message-ID: <1993May21.064028.313@nugget.rmNUG.ORG> Sender: garr...@nugget.rmNUG.ORG (Garrett Rice) Reply-To: garr...@renaissance.com Organization: Rocky Mountain NeXT Users' Group Date: Fri, 21 May 1993 06:40:28 GMT Lines: 93 Just off the wire (excuse me if its already been posted). Garrett Rice Renaissance Software, Inc. _______________________________________ The NEXTSTEP Generation PC Magazine June 15 by Heidi A. Patton and Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols Screen caption: NeXTSTEP for Intel Processors has a user interface that's nothing short of breathtaking. With 24-bit graphics support, NeXTSTEP offers true-color images that move with fluidity on the screen. NeXT is known for its innovating operating system, which until recently, has been available only with the company's proprietary black hardware, the futuristic NeXTcube. But recently, NeXT sold the hardware part of its business to Canon, now to enjoy wider success, it has been working to make its software available on the Intel platform. NeXT hopes to convince users that its OS is a more productive environment than the better-known alternative: Windows NT, OS/2, and the more traditional implementations of Unix. So much of NeXTSTEP is based on cutting edge object-oriented technology, that it has often been compared with operating systems not even available yet: Taligent's Pink and Microsoft's Cairo project. NeXT is determined to make the most of its NeXTSTEP for Intel Processors. The early beta we saw didn't yet contain the forthcoming DOS emulation, but it did show off the gorgeous user interface and the productive Interface Builder development environment. NEXT-GENERATION OS NeXT has rigorously adhered to the object-oriented paradigm in NeXTSTEP. The graphical environment, dubbed the Workspace Manager, is a highly designed interface where end users can easily mix menus, icons, and windows into a customized interface--no third-party development tools required. File manipulation and program launching is all done by drag and drop, and NeXTSTEP supports ObjectLinks, where changes made in one document element are automatically reflected wherever that element appears. Multitasking, networking, and multimedia are securely integrated. While multiple operations still leave Windows 3.1 floundering, NeXTSTEP (thanks to its enhanced Mach operating kernel) never skips a stitch while running half a dozen operations at once. The multimedia support provides video-in-a-window capabilities and full audio support. NeXTSTEP's real-time graphics amaze and delight. It is the only Unix we looked that integrates 24-bit graphics support. The system takes advantage of the linear frame-buffer facilities available in many high-end graphics cards and employs a technique called "windows backing store," which keeps keeps windows images in either memory or virtual memory. As long as you've got RAM to spare, NeXTSTEP gives you eye-popping true visual color images that move with incredible fluidity on-screen. The technique also allows fancy visual effects like image transparency, in which images can be seen through other images. NeXTSTEP also includes cross-application support the Pantone color-matching system. These visual delights come at a cost. NeXTSTEP requires a minimum of 16MB of RAM for color graphics (24MB are recommended). Moreover, NeXTSTEP uses 486-specific instructions, and runs only on 486- or Pentium-powered machines. All that plus the required 120MB of hard disk space for the user environment alone, adds up to an operating system that demands haute cuisine hardware. Communications will also prove to be a strong point for NeXTSTEP. The Mach kernel supports object-messaging, which simplifies not only interprocess communications but also inter-system communications. NeXTSTEP has always supported Unix's networking standards, like NFS, TCP/IP. Release 3.0, which is NeXTSTEP's foundation, comes with NetWare client and Macintosh AppleShare client software. OOP DEVELOPMENT TOOLS INCLUDED NeXT is also bringing NeXTSTEP's well respected development environment to the PC world. The Project Builder component is an integrated point-and-click application for managing and maintaining development projects. The Interface Builder helps developers create user interfaces that are consistent with the look and feel of all other NeXTSTEP applications. For commonly used programming objects (like panels for selecting files and objects that handle data exchange and printing), NeXTSTEP includes the Application Kit. Programmers can plug these ready-made elements into their applications or tailor them for more specific functionality. There's even an object-oriented database tool, the Database Kit, that lets programmers build GUI front-end database apps quickly. GOOD APPLICATION SUPPORT Several popular programs like WordPerfect, Adobe Illustrator, Lotus Improv, and Informix's Wingz, already exist in NeXTSTEP. The operating system itself comes with a variety of cutting-edge applications, such as a multimedia e-mail system that lets you send and receive sound and graphic elements as well as text. We'll need to wait to see how NeXTSTEP handles DOS and Windows applications, though. NeXT's integration of Insignia's Software's SoftPC DOS emulation was unavailable for testings during the beta cycle. SoftPC allows you to run DOS 5.0- and Windows 3.1-compatible programs in standard mode. NeXTSTEP for PCs is as beautiful and awe-inspiring to look at as its picture on the on the company's sleek black boxes. Its easy-to-use object-oriented interface makes it stand apart from the other 32-bit operating systems. The steep hardware requirements may not make it the Volkswagon of operating systems, but there's always a market for a Mercedes.