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

[JF Mezei]

>>"Until Microsoft, I though DEC had the greatest engineering
>>organization, but Microsoft is substantially better."

If it weren't for the first 2 words, the statement would be tolerable
since there is no longer any DEC engineering, so even Microsoft's dismal
 engineering would be better.

However, when you consider Microsoft's engineering when Microsoft
started, it was closer to "how to steal other people's ideas/software"
than writing your own. Microsfoot lived for at least a decade without
any true engineering of its own.

I may be biased (not not completely biased, I don't yet have apple
branded socks and underwear :-), I'd say Apple has some great
engineering these days. Extremey innovative industrial designers, and
ability to integrate technologies (and open source software) into a
slick/sleek product.

Unlike DEC, Apple knows how to advertise. And Apple makes it easy to buy
their products. And their web site is far better organised than HP's.
Customer service ? Server got delayed by about a week. They upgraded the
delivery to "express" at no charge AND included a free iPOD nano with
it. Did Digital ever do that ? Nop because Digital didn't speak to small
customers.