[Info-vax] OT: news from the trenches (re: Solaris)

[johnwallace4 at yahoo.co.uk]

On Wednesday, 11 March 2015 20:42:51 UTC, Phillip Helbig (undress to reply)  wrote:
> In article <69c1c30b-434b-4492-9d57-fed584883474 at googlegroups.com>,
> johnwallace4 at yahoo.co.uk writes: 
> 
> > A completed x86-64 port also removes one of the barriers to entry
> > for outfits that may just want a low cost low hassle way to try
> > kicking the tyres of a VMS system - no longer need there be any
> > need to try to scrounge an IA64 box from HP or a reseller, when
> > the hardware involved is likely the same hardware that is bread
> > and butter to these organisations. 
> 
> Any idea what the least expensive new VSI-supported x86 VMS system will
> cost (just the hardware)?  Any idea what the least expensive
> non-supported system which will nevertheless run VMS will cost?

When are we hoping VMS on x86-64 will be out?

I wouldn't even want to gamble on Proliant prices around then, let
alone gamble on what server(s) (real or virtual) VSI might pick.

Partly that's because there are strange times ahead for Intel.

A company that owns its own chip fabs, as Intel do, has to fill them or
else its chips get exceedingly expensive. Intel have already mothballed
one brand new fab before incurring the committed costs of starting it up.

Desktop/laptop x86 sales figures (Intel's bread and butter) aren't what
they used to be, and seem unlikely to improve much, courtesy of Windows'
numbers in the volume client market (don't need Windows => don't need x86). 

Loss-making x86 SoCs (see "contra revenue") show no signs of being
Intel's saviour in the high volume market.

Yet when the revenues fall the fixed costs don't, so either profit
margins fall to avoid prices getting absolutely monstrous, or prices go
up (and then potential customers may look elsewhere).

This is the "Alpha death spiral" scenario, just starting with a lot more
money in Intel's bank than there was in DEC's.

Not saying it will happen, just saying it's a possibility which makes
predicting the future even harder than it used to be.