[Info-vax] Dave Cutler, Prism, DEC, Microsoft, etc.

[Michael Kraemer]

George Cook schrieb:

> 
> I guess it may not "really" matter in the grand scheme of the
> universe, but in that case nothing at all matters "really".  In
> 1997, DEC still claimed (and appeared) to believe in Alpha.  I
> went to all the same non-disclosure presentations as I suspect
> others here did.

I think we all know the value of committments on paper.
Actions speak louder than words.
Handing over the flagship product to a direct competitor
in 1997, just 5 years after Alpha's introduction,
sent a strong negative signal.
It really didn't matter whether DEC still kept IP rights
or not.
Customers' comments in the trade press (at least in German),
including DECUS board members, were mainly negative,
certainly not enthusiastic.

> Sounds a lot like "double secret probation" to me. 

What I hear is, that the guys from Microprocessor Report
came up with that "secret amendments" assumption.
But it makes a lot more sense to me than the rose-coloured pictures,
IMHO.

> IBM also agreed
> to manufacture Alpha.  If nothing else IBM is not stupid, and would not
> have gotten involved in some super secret conspiracy to kill Alpha.

No conspiracy here. From 2000 onwards IBM manufactured Alpha's,
just as they produced HP's PA-RISC chips.
By that time such things weren't taboo anymore,
and no problem either, since both were a dying breed anyway.