[Info-vax] OT: About Digital and divisions

[seasoned_geek]

On Nov 19, 10:51 am, JF Mezei <jfmezei.spam... at vaxination.ca> wrote:
> Remember how in the 1980s, Digital had all the ingredients and brought
> it as a single solution from hardware to applications and support ? All
> that fell apart when Palmer took over and divided Digital and sold off
> so many applications.
>

Actually it fell apart when Ken Olsen allowed MBA's to join the
company.

It went off the rails when DEC originally created the Micro-PDP BEFORE
IBM shipped their PC and refused to sell it because the sub $8K price
tag would cannibalize existing PDP-11 sales.

It imploded when he allowed the eat-your-own-young competition to
continue with the VAX 9000 while the Alpha was close to completion.  I
had one client who spent around a million dollars installing a 9000
and migrating licenses, etc. only to have it be worth less than
$250,000 six months later when the Alpha started shipping.

It became a pile of smoldering ash DEC launched the Rainbow and some
MBA decided to charge $5 for a pre-formatted 5 1/4 floppy while
withholding a FORMAT utility...

It became a pile of wet and lifeless ash when DEC did a joint venture
with RadioShack to make ACTUAL PC's and they didn't seriously push
them into client sites or allow RadioShack dealers to sell the DEC
brand computer, thus stopping DEC from becoming a household name like
Hewlette Packard.

http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/RadioShack-Corporation-company-History.html
=====
In 1988, Tandy test-marketed its 100SX computer line through 50 Wal-
Mart stores. The company also announced plans to develop new computers
with Digital Equipment Corporation (reselling the finished product
under the DEC name) and to supply personal computers to Panasonic
(which would be sold under the Panasonic name).
=====

Ironically, the same dealers who whined about Tandy branding computers
for others would still be in business today had they sued for the
right to sell ALL of the brands instead of suing as they did.  Now,
nobody goes to RadioShack.