[Info-vax] HP wins Oracle Itanium case

[David Froble]

Richard B. Gilbert wrote:
> On 8/21/2012 1:44 PM, David Froble wrote:
>> Bob Koehler wrote:
>>> In article <k0u9du$bko$1 at dont-email.me>, David Froble
>>> <davef at tsoft-inc.com> writes:
>>>> If DEC had positioned VMS to perform all these jobs, and I'm talking
>>>> 1990 or perhaps even before, including proper marketing and pricing,
>>>> would it (VMS) have been feasible, or are you saying VMS could not do
>>>> the job?
>>>
>>>    Too late.  VAXen were way behind in performance, people left, and did
>>>    not come back.  DEC still thought they were selling hardware.
>>>
>>
>> I don't buy that.  There are many jobs that don't require bleeding edge
>> performance.  There are some jobs that highly value reliability.
>>
>> VAX died because DEC stuck a knife in it, even as the low end systems
>> were still selling well.
>>
>> People left because DEC quit responding to customer needs.
> 
> Don't you think that the Alpha processor had something to do with the
> decline of the VAX?  I couldn't help noticing the great speed speed of 
> the Alpha.
> 
> I know that my then employer jumped on the Alpha bandwagon.  We were 
> well aware that we needed greater speed than the VAX could deliver.
> We purchased a pair of Alpha 4100 processors and found the speed we 
> needed and some to spare!  We had to buy more RAM than the VAXen needed
> but the Alphas got job done and done FAST!
> 
> The switchover worked and solved our performance problems.  For the 
> first time in a long time we had more speed than we really needed.
> 
> 

Ok, so you needed the performance.  That doesn't mean everyone did.

A while back someone posted about process control in a steel mill.  Computers 
with sensors controlling a line that got up to speeds of 60 MPH.  (That 
impressed me.)  I'm betting much older and slower computers could provide the 
required performance.  What was needed was reliability, replacement parts, etc.

DEC had all types of customers.

When DEC stopped the N-VAX production line, they claimed they had build a 
stockpile designed to last at least 5 years.  Didn't come close.  Where did all 
those CPUs go?  The only place I can figure is customer demand.  When they were 
gone, that was the end of VAX sales.

The question that occurs to me, and I doubt it can be answered, is how long 
could DEC continue to mfg and sell N-VAX CPUs?  No more R&D, just keep the line 
running.  It's called a "cash cow".  Instead of milking it, they butchered it.

Don't get me wrong, Alpha was great, maybe the best there has ever been. 
Another great question is how would Alpha perform with a 32 nm die size? 
Multiple cores per chip.  Low voltage.  Cooler temps.  Though I have heard of 
problems getting it to run correctly on smaller die sizes.  You'd want to think 
that such problems could be solved.  Some people didn't want to pay to solve them.