[Info-vax] Steve Jobes [was: Apple says ...]

[Richard B. Gilbert]

On 10/8/2011 6:05 PM, VAXman- @SendSpamHere.ORG wrote:
> In article<SqOdncY9euaqXQ3TnZ2dnUVZ_v-dnZ2d at giganews.com>, "Richard B. Gilbert"<rgilbert88 at comcast.net>  writes:
>> On 10/8/2011 3:39 AM, George Cornelius wrote:
>>> In article<4e8e0bd4$0$2477$e4fe514c at news2.news.xs4all.nl>, MG<marcogbNO at SPAMxs4all.nl>   writes:
>>>> Unlike Ken Olsen, Steve Jobs is often deified and gets media coverage
>>>> all the time; or else his registered trademarks and logos.  Only some
>>>> online publications, along with a few institutions (like one American
>>>> university) made mention of Olsen's death, in terms recognition in
>>>> the mass-media and overall mention in general.  Even DEC 'inheritor'
>>>> HP barely made mention of Ken Olsen's passing away.  So, yes, there
>>>> is definitely a difference alright.
>>>
>>> Well, Jobs was a national figure.  Olson, even in Digital's heyday,
>>> was known to few.  Both attempted to market premium products at
>>> premium prices.  But Olson is well known for disdaining marketing,
>>> and disdaining the consumer market as well.
>>
>> And he drove DEC right into the ground!  R.I.P. DEC
>
> I think Palmer had more of a hand in that!
>

I think there's plenty of blame to spread around.  The fact remains that 
DEC was selling its merchandise at a premium while the competition was 
selling for less, a *lot* less!  At more or less the same time the X86 
platform and MS DOS was starting to conquer the world.  The X86 platform 
became a commodity and sold at commodity prices.  As I recall, the DEC 
Rainbow (X86) PC sold for something like $5,000 list price.

Other vendors could undercut this price and did so!  DEC didn't even TRY 
to compete on price, at least not until it was far too late.

R.I.P. DEC