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

[David Froble]

lists at openmailbox.org wrote:

I'm not arguing.  I'm just stating my position.

Our application needs VMS.  It doesn't need any particular CPU or 
architecture.  It just needs VMS.  There will not be any port or 
re-write.  The people and funding is just not available.

So, I run on VMS, or I don't run an application at all.

Ok, so far nothing about x86.  Now I can get to that.  Good or bad, it 
has survived, and dominated.  It probably will be around for some years 
yet.  If that's all that I can use, in the near future, for VMS, then 
with what I've stated above, it's going to be VMS on x86 or no VMS and 
I'm out of business.

Good or bad, what would you choose?

Do I despise Intel.  Yes.  I do so because of their attitude.

Years ago DEC had a floating point problem on the VAX 11/750.  When 
discovered, their immediate reaction was to engineer a fix and then 
update all the 750s in customer hands.  DEC's attitude was that a 
floating point error was not acceptable.

Move on a few years, and Intel had a FP problem with the 386 CPU. 
Totally different attitude, "it's not a major problem, live with it", 
and when people would not, they were very unhappy with replacing the chips.

Two different attitudes.  One I can admire.  One I despise.

I buy AMD.  Yes, you'll consider it as bad as Intel.  It's all I can do 
to show my attitude with regard to Intel's attitudes.