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

[Neil Rieck]

JF suggested checking the book "DEC Is Dead, Long Live DEC" (by Edgar
H. Schein). I had read it through once before but had never read the
appendixes. Anyway, last night I re-read the PRISM stuff which starts
on P 206. The author has included 4-5 different versions of the PRISM
story because people interviewed had completely different memories of
what happened. P 211-212 talks about a corporate schism between the
engineers and upper management. The engineers kept referring to
previous research by Gordon Bell which indicated that the correct path
forward was to move toward a microprocessor-based future. Engineering-
managers then tried to shut down projects like VAX 9000 causing people
like Bob Glorioso to go to Ken Olsen and fellow VPs for a reprieve.
Bob is quoted "these engineers have no right to tell us business
people what to do" (sounds like similar stuff I heard from GM +
Chrysler).

On a related topic, DEC management thought PRISM would be late which
was one of the reasons why DEC decided to switch to MIPS. On P 211,
the people interviewed claim that PRISM components not killed were
delivered on time while the new MIPS chips were delivered late -AND-
the MIPS-supplied compilers (which DEC initially was told were
finished products) were total junk requiring a total rewrite by DEC.

I'm going to read the appendixes today (there is some PRISM and MIPS
stuff in there) but one appendix has a subtitle "Digital's Reluctance
to Make Strategic Choices".

Neil Rieck
Kitchener / Waterloo / Cambridge,
Ontario, Canada.
http://www3.sympatico.ca/n.rieck/
http://www3.sympatico.ca/n.rieck/docs/dave_cutler-prism-mica-emerald-etc.html