[Info-vax] x86-64-based Superdomes on the way (says HP)

[JF Mezei]

Michael Kraemer wrote:

> Not quite. Just business as usual, reaffirmed.
> Those who still want those platforms will get them,
> but it's a declining business.

Not quite "business as usual" from a PR point of view. Under Livermore,
the message was that they would continue to sell Itaniums and push
HP-UX, while for VMS it was "we'll continue to support existing
customers and offer new hardware". This was putting a positive spin on
things.

Whitman's message in that teleconference was rather blunt: BCS is
shrinking by 23%, given up on it with the only effort being to try to
control the rate of decline.  She added that they would make an effort
to find a new platform.   So the hints are much much stronger than before.


Oracle's decision to desupport IA64 may have wounded BCS much more than
we may have tought.  It basically relegates HP-UX to the same status as
VMS: no expectation of new customers so just a question of taking care
of the remaining installed base.


had Pfeiffer been replaced by a real CEO at Compaq, it is not clear
how/when/if Alpha would have been replaced by IA64.

Because Curly was in a hurry to find a buyer for Compaq (since he wasn't
competent enough to lead the company back to success), he had no choice
but to prematurely announce the murder of Alpha without any warning
because that may have been a precondition set by LaCarly. This was
despite Alpha being a great chip with great future of tech innovations
planned for it.

In the case of HP, they have been much smarter at controlling
expectations on IA64 and by the time HP formally announces the end of
IA64, customers will be happy to finally put an end to this long story
where IA64 has always played catch up, never any true technological edge
and thus no real asset to anyone.

And IA64 will have had a lifetime of greater than 10 years, despite its
death having been predicted since the days of Merced. So there won't be
any accusations of HP killing a chip with a bright future or not having
given IA64 a chance.

Consider that if BCS sales drop by 20-25% per year, HP won't be able to
justify paying for continued development of IA64 for much longer.
Poulson will come out, but I am not sure about its succesor.  By the
time the successor would come out, the market may be too small to pay
for its development costs.


> The message is: if you want x86, you'll only get Linux
> (or, even worse, Windoze).
> So if you want VMS, stop demanding x86.

The underlying message from Whitman: "if you really need your OS (HP-UX,
NSK, VMS) to continue beyond IA64, talk to us NOW so we can gauge demand
for a port because right now, our thoughts is that those systems won't
be ported beyond IA64."

I expects important customers like NASDAQ will have private (off the
record) dinners at Whitman's residence to discuss this and this will
happen quickly (or has already happened).