All NeXT Inc.'s Plant Lacks Is Orders (1990) • Hacker News Board

Re: All NeXT Inc.'s Plant Lacks Is Orders (1990)

#21

Post by gamble » Tue, Jul 05, 2011, 11:36 PM UTC

mkr-hn wrote: post #5

recampbell wrote: post #4

"In Mr. Jobs's view, the factory testifies to the fact that the United States can still compete as both a low-cost and a world-class manufacturer when it sets its mind to the task." I suppose he has changed his position?

Manufacturing in the US has never been better. It's the number of people needed to manufacture stuff in the US that's been declining.

If by manufacturing, you mean chemicals, pharmaceuticals, processed agricultural products, pulp&paper, and heavy industrial equipment. Electronics and consumer products manufacturing is dead in the US.

Re: All NeXT Inc.'s Plant Lacks Is Orders (1990)

#22

Post by bmastenbrook » Tue, Jul 05, 2011, 11:38 PM UTC

kstenerud wrote: post #20

Apocryphon wrote: post #8

"Start-up" company "Steven P." Jobs "United States can still compete as both a low-cost and a world-class manufacturer" So, what other items become amusingly ironic thanks to the lens of retrospect?

In what way? Entrepreneurs are still failing and then eventually hitting home runs. Steve's full name is still Steven P. Jobs. And the US can still complete as both a low-cost and a world-class manufacturer.

"And the US can still complete as both a low-cost and a world-class manufacturer."

Assuming that you're referring to the type of electronics manufacturing that NeXT was doing at its plant, can you provide any evidence to support this assertion?

Re: All NeXT Inc.'s Plant Lacks Is Orders (1990)

#23

Post by bmastenbrook » Tue, Jul 05, 2011, 11:42 PM UTC

pyre wrote: post #7

mkr-hn wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Manufacturing in the US has never been better. It's the number of people needed to manufacture stuff in the US that's been declining.

Well, that could be due a convergence between automation and labor-intensive manufacturing (which can't be automated easily) moving overseas to fine a cheaper work force. Also, I think the parent post was referring to the fact that Steve Jobs is now CEO of Apple which IIRC does most of their manufacturing overseas (SE Asia). If SJ still believed that quote, then he would have been trying to 'bring it home' so to spea…

"Also, I think the parent post was referring to the fact that Steve Jobs is now CEO of Apple which IIRC does most of their manufacturing overseas (SE Asia)."

Does Apple have any manufacturing operations currently? I would be surprised if they did.

Re: All NeXT Inc.'s Plant Lacks Is Orders (1990)

#24

Post by forgotAgain » Tue, Jul 05, 2011, 11:47 PM UTC

Mr. Jobs you amaze me. It's taken a while but you've buried those who depend on copier machines for product development.

What would the world look like today if all of the developers who had Windows 95 machines had Next boxes and software instead?

Re: All NeXT Inc.'s Plant Lacks Is Orders (1990)

#25

Post by wheels » Tue, Jul 05, 2011, 11:56 PM UTC

spitfire wrote: post #10

The most interesting part of that article was that they produce prototype boards on the same assembly line as production. No waiting for boards to come in. If they want a board made simply queue it and it's done. They were agile before it was cool to be agile. EDIT: Also, I had a NeXT Cube and NeXT Turbostation with laser printer. They were fantastic. We've barely budged the needle since then.

They were agile before it was cool to be agile.

Which turned out to be arrogant, stupid and wrong.

Re: All NeXT Inc.'s Plant Lacks Is Orders (1990)

#26

Post by eru » Tue, Jul 05, 2011, 11:58 PM UTC

larsberg wrote: post #17

radicaldreamer wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Due to wage/cost inflation in China and the coming rise of the Yuan (along with the weakness of the dollar), the US is about to become the cheapest place for high end manufacturing in the world.

Modulo regulatory approval, of course. Most of my family works in various manufacturing industries (high end foundry, steel mills, etc.) and you're looking at years to get even the most basic permits through unless you are in one of the states that allow you to "purchase" fast-track approval. Companies end up buying the old, dead husks of manufacturing plants that went out of business not because they want any of the…

Yes. Basically the US can only afford to have so many stupid rules, because they are so productive.

Re: All NeXT Inc.'s Plant Lacks Is Orders (1990)

#27

Post by eru » Wed, Jul 06, 2011, 12:00 AM UTC

bmastenbrook wrote: post #22

kstenerud wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In what way? Entrepreneurs are still failing and then eventually hitting home runs. Steve's full name is still Steven P. Jobs. And the US can still complete as both a low-cost and a world-class manufacturer.

"And the US can still complete as both a low-cost and a world-class manufacturer." Assuming that you're referring to the type of electronics manufacturing that NeXT was doing at its plant, can you provide any evidence to support this assertion?

How about Intel?

Re: All NeXT Inc.'s Plant Lacks Is Orders (1990)

#28

Post by bmastenbrook » Wed, Jul 06, 2011, 12:08 AM UTC

eru wrote: post #27

bmastenbrook wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"And the US can still complete as both a low-cost and a world-class manufacturer." Assuming that you're referring to the type of electronics manufacturing that NeXT was doing at its plant, can you provide any evidence to support this assertion?

How about Intel?

Intel fabs chips here. They assemble electronics in China.

Edit: And that's assuming that they assemble electronics at all, which I wouldn't bet on.

Re: All NeXT Inc.'s Plant Lacks Is Orders (1990)

#29

Post by jseliger » Wed, Jul 06, 2011, 12:17 AM UTC

gluecode wrote: post #3

I have a NeXT cube from the 1990s. It is one of the best built products in terms of build quality, I have ever seen.

How does it compare to Model M keyboards? Or the recent editions of those keyboards (see more: http://jseliger.com/2008/05/07/product-review-unicomp-custom... )?

Re: All NeXT Inc.'s Plant Lacks Is Orders (1990)

#30

Post by reduxredacted » Wed, Jul 06, 2011, 12:17 AM UTC

ary wrote: post #13

The best I could find on the fate of this factory was from Wikipedia [1]. "NeXT withdrew from the hardware business in 1993 and the company was renamed NeXT Software Inc; subsequently 300 of the 540 staff employees were laid off. NeXT negotiated to sell the hardware business including the Fremont factory to Canon. Canon later pulled out of the deal. Work on the PowerPC machines was stopped along with all hardware pro…

I was in elementary school and a guy came in for "Career Day" to speak with the five of us who were interested in computing. He brought a NeXT computer (I have no idea which one), with some rectangular cartridge (must have been the magneto-optical media). He explained why it was such a fantastic machine, and proceeded to spend the allotted 30 minutes attempting to boot it.

I have no idea who this guy was or what he did for a living, but it was my very first experience watching a demo go horribly wrong. I have to say, that event influenced me in over-preparing for any sort of demo. I don't remember the details, but I remembered that it was NeXT, and I remembered that it didn't boot. (OK, I'll admit that I partly remembered the name because the capital XT reminded me of my clunky IBM PC XT clone I had at home).