[Info-vax] Chinese Alpha?

[Michael Kraemer]

Hans Vlems schrieb:

> On the VAX 6420 it took minutes just to display the program banner and
> even more to get a command prompt.
> On Alpha it was instantaneous. Users were sure the system was
> faulty.... Everything worked well however and
> two weeks later the users were quite used to the new performance.

Comparing with a then ten years old VAX or an intel box
is low hanging fruit.

> The potential for Alpha in 1998 was enormous.

In 1998 the game was already over.

> Provided its owner was
> willing to sink a lot of money in continuous
> development and could find buying custumers willing to spend the
> money. 

But that's the crucial point.
"Clean design" is worthless if it can't be manufactured
ecomonically and the customers just aren't interested.