[Info-vax] OT: Elephants Can't Dance

[Phillip Helbig---remove CLOTHES to reply]

In article <00003bb0$0$2148$c3e8da3 at news.astraweb.com>, JF Mezei
<jfmezei.spamnot at vaxination.ca> writes: 

> Phillip Helbig---remove CLOTHES to reply wrote:
> > The typical Rdb 
> > customer on VMS neither wants nor needs bells-and-whistles features 
> > which might exist in some other product---he wants something which will 
> > do the job.
> 
> It also depends on how many customers are actively developping NEW
> applications on VMS. If the vast majority are just maintaining existing
> apps, then the need for new Rdb features is much less.

You make it sound like "either developing new apps needing the latest, 
greatest bells-and-whistles stuff" or "maintaining existing apps, more 
or less life support until the current staff retires".  There is a huge 
middle ground, namely continuing to actively develop applications, 
requesting and using new database features where appropriate, but not 
jumping on the flavour-of-the-month bandwagon.

> My gut tells me that the original goal was to develop Oracle on VMS
> sufficiuently to allow easy move from Rdb to Oracle and then end Rdb
> development. Makes sense from a business point of view to eliminate
> duplicate products.

That might have played a role at some point.  What also played a role 
was the following: If DEC hadn't sold Rdb to Oracle, Oracle would have 
seen Rdb (running only on VMS) as a competitor to Rdb, and hence VMS as 
a competitor to Rdb, so it wouldn't be in Oracle's interest to develop 
and support Oracle Classic for VMS.  However, this would have been bad 
press for DEC (back when DEC cared about getting good press).

> BUT, when Oracle realised that Digital had no intentions to grow VMS, it
> probably realised that it was more cost effective to just keep on
> maintaining Rdb for the existing customers and not focus so much on
> Oracle for VMS. (hence the Oracle apps went away).

I think it more likely that Oracle discovered that it would require a 
HUGE effort to bring Oracle Classic up to the functionality of Rdb, even 
after having bought Rdb and having access to the code.