[Info-vax] READ and WRITE vs. SEARCH/OUTPUT

[Michael Kraemer]

Richard B. Gilbert schrieb:

> VMS is not widely used these days.  Princeton University had VAXen in: 
> Plasma Physics Laboratory, Gas Dynamics Laboratory, Physics Department, 
> and the Chemistry Department.  It doesn't help if the students can't use 
> it, or if they choose to use something else.  The University as a whole 
> was IBM oriented.  The Computing Center had an IBM 360/91, one of 
> eighteen or so that were made.  It was what passed for a "super 
> computer" in those days.

This scenario wasn't/isn't unusual for academia (uni's and bigger labs).
For larger tasks one had big iron in the Computing Centre.
For data taking or process control one used PDP's or, later, VAXen.
So until the late 1980's there was little chance for a student
*not* to be exposed to one of those DEC products. From the end
of the 1980's onwards, however, Unix took over. DEC still had
a good chance to ride that wave too, e.g. by migrating their
large VMS base to Ultrix, while constantly improving the latter.
DEC chose to blow that opportunity.

> 
> DEC had problems in those days.  It was bought by Compaq which gave
> it a new lease on life but failed to solve the underlying problems.
> Compaq was acquired in turn.  DEC's problems remained unsolved.
> I'm not sure that DEC's problems COULD have been solved at that point.
> It would have taken several fortunes in cash and a thorough house 
> cleaning.  It didn't happen.

DEC (and VMS) were like Kodak and analog photography are today.

> I have a couple of Alphas and, ISTR, even a VAX.  I seldom use them.
> 
> The applications I want/need are word processing, spread sheets and 
> Turbo-Tax. 

You have a turbo-income?

> None of these run under VMS. 

DIY. As a retiree, you have all the time of the world.

> Well, there was a Word Perfect 
> for VMS but who could afford a license?  PC's did it faster and cheaper!
>