[Info-vax] OpenVMS I64 V8.1 "Evaluation Release"?

[David Froble]

Dennis Grevenstein wrote:
> Michael Kraemer <m.kraemer at gsi.de> wrote:
>>  
>> Not just a rumour, it really existed (5.0 or so) and for a short period of
>> time IBM sold a few Itanics. 
>> Istr they even built a supercomputer with them for NCSA. 
>> But they were smart enough
>> to recognize it wouldn't become a success, 
>> so both hardware and software was canned.
>> Too bad I didn't order a copy back then, it really would be
>> a curiosity by now, joining the ranks of Solaris/PPC, OS2/PPC etc.
> 
> At least Solaris 2.5.1/PPC was a real product.
> IBM sure was right not to abandon their PPC platform.
> 
>>> I sometimes wonder what might have happened if AMD
>>> had not come up with x86_64.
>> That's like speculating how history would have developped 
>> in a parallel universe.
> 
> Sure, but IA64 had a chance to take over serious x86 market share,
> because the old x86 was only a 32bit platform
> I'm not saying that VMS would be much more popular. I'm just
> saying that it wasn't nessecarily a bad idea to get into the IA64
> market back then.
> 
> Dennis
> 

A lot of people were buying into the Intel "kool aid", and Intel had every intention of 
basically taking over the world wide computer CPU market with a propriatory architecture. 
  They had intentions on the demise of x86.  Lots of players for a short time.  IBM, 
Fujitsu, and others.

AMD really screwed that up, with better CPUs (at the time) and then the 64 bit extentions. 
  Microsoft very publicly proclaimed their satisfaction with the Athlon 64.  AMD had 
64-bit, and faster CPUs.  Intel was stuck on faster and faster clock speed, which was 
hitting a wall, and wasn't listening to their tech people.  They had to compete with AMD 
in the x86 market, or perhaps stop being the 800 pound gorilla.  Their Israeli people 
bailed them out with what was suppose to be a low power chip.

The real moral of this story is that when there is competition, the customers benefit. 
The itanic has no competition, and it's development barely exists.