[Info-vax] N-VAX processors and alternative architectures, was: Re: date comparison format from a program

[Jim Causey]

It's fun to speculate about a world where DEC poured the resources they invested in chasing IBM's taillights or the VAX 9000 debacle with silicon process innovation to try and make VAX microprocessors a long-term platform.  It's hard to imagine that they could have even matched the resources and skill Intel brought to process shrinking and power reduction, let alone exceeded them -- and Intel still struggles.

When DEC decided to develop low-power processors, they partnered with ARM on StrongARM, rather than trying to make VAX or Alpha fit that approach.  That decision is pretty telling.