[Info-vax] Free Pascal for VMS ?

[Arne Vajhøj]

On 5/21/2018 1:48 PM, Dave Froble wrote:
> On 5/21/2018 4:54 AM, Jan-Erik Söderholm wrote:
>> Den 2018-05-21 kl. 02:58, skrev Arne Vajhøj:
>>> It fluctuates a bit (with release of new generations of servers).
>>>
>>> But if you look at the long term then there is no growth.
>>>
>>> Let me increase from 5 to 12 years.
>>>
>>> 2006     +7.8
>>> 2007    -11.2
>>> 2008    +12.5
>>> 2009    -28.7
>>> 2010    +16.4
>>> 2011     +0.3
>>> 2012     +5.4
>>> 2013    -13.4
>>> 2014    -23.3
>>> 2015    +28.1
>>> 2016    -21.8
>>> 2017    +24.0
>>>
>>> I don't think that is a statistical trick.
>>
>> No, I do not think it is growing long term. Maybe if you measure
>> raw performance. Doesn't matter, my point was only that, when thing
>> varies that much from year to year, you get very differnt result
>> depending on what range you select. And that can be used (not saying
>> that you did) to prove a point in any direction.
> 
> Perhaps the discussion of "growth" is looking in the wrong direction.
> 
> IBM's strength always was in the big iron market.  And a fine market it 
> was, and still is.  Perhaps just maintaining this market is all one 
> could ask for, and all one needs to be profitable.

My point was not that the z market was not profitable.

In fact I suspect that it is.

The lack of competition makes it likely to be profitable.

The x86-64 market on the other hand is very competitive. Low margins
for system providers. Cheap systems for users.

I think there is a reason why they sold x to Lenovo and not p
and z.

My point was that z is not taking over the x86-64 market
as Roland hinted at.

Arne