[Info-vax] Why it is a good idea that OpenVMS isn't on x86-64 just yet

[Kerry Main]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Johnny Billquist [mailto:bqt at softjar.se]
> Sent: 18-Jan-16 11:57 AM
> To: Kerry Main <kerry.main at backtothefutureit.com>; comp.os.vms to
> email gateway <info-vax at info-vax.com>
> Subject: Re: [New Info-vax] Why it is a good idea that OpenVMS isn't on
> x86-64 just yet
> 
> On 2016-01-18 15:00, Kerry Main wrote:
> > Most system vendors systems are driven by marketing and positioning
> > to target markets.
> >
> > One possible example is things like removing NOOP's in ucode, adding
> a
> > few tweaks & selling the new ucode as an enhancement to an existing
> > system. Yes, they might throw in a new label to attach to the system,
> add
> > new p/n's etc so it has the appearances and justification for the $'s
> spent.
> >
> > They might also do things like purposely slowing down benchmarks on
> > one system so that a more favored system from the marketing groups
> > is easier to position as "better".
> >
> > Pure speculation of course ..
> >
> > :-)
> 
> Oh, I know the stories. There have been plenty over the years. How
> many
> of them actually are true is a different story, though...
> 

>From personal experience, some stories are definitely true.  

> For the 11/750, I seriously doubt this would have been the case, but I
> obviously don't know for sure.
> But let's say the VAX-11/750 could perform on par with the 11/780.
> Wouldn't have made much more sense to just price the 11/750 a little
> cheaper than the 11/780, and just stop producing the 11/780. The
> margins
> on the 11/750 would have been much greater, since it would cost way
> less
> than the 11/780 to produce.
> So customers would have gotten the same performance at a lower price,
> and DEC would have made much more money... Can't see how they
> could have
> refused that.
> 
> 	Johnny

Agree that as far as I know, the above did not impact the 11780/11750.
Let's not forget that the 11750 also came out a few years after the 11780,
so cheaper, smaller makes sense.

Regards,

Kerry Main
Kerry dot main at starkgaming dot com