Compaq / DEC buyout

[David Miller <dm0@avana.net>]

Jim, I'm forwarding this to the list:

Jim Choate wrote:
> >From the news on CNN it's a done deal. DEC share holders are supposed to get
> like $30/share and some sort of transfer of stocks...

Oh, shit.  Well, it seems as though Compaq has been pulling away from Intel
lately (towards AMD), so perhaps this will be a GoodThing(tm), because
otherwise DEC might turn out to be like Apple, except to die a much, much
slower death.

> Wonder if this means that Compaq will go head to head with MS/Intel now?

I think so.  Tim had mentioned that last he heard the Intel/DEC deal was dead.
Perhaps this is what he was talking about.  The thing is, how much about the
Alpha does Intel know, and does this mean yet another round of lawsuits?
I'm afraid that Intel may know enough now to make a 1GHz pentium, which would
probably a ModeratelyBadThing(tm).  I'd much prefer DEC to save mankind and
lead them into the next millenium.

> They will certainly have the experience and the market name to attempt it.
> Last time I checked the Alpha was still a good deal faster than the Pentium.

Yep, but for how much longer?  Some elephants never die, and right now it
looks like Intel can once again save MicroSoft's OS by hardware (ironically
via DEC).  NT bloats as the hardware gets faster.

> Now since Compaq can use vertical marketing in regards to Alpha chips they
> should be able to produce much more competitive machines price wise than DEC
> was able to do.
> 
> I have a fond place for DEC, a PDP/8e was the first machine I ever actualy
> got to put my hands on. I miss the front panel switches sometimes (not often
> though)...

I'll aways have a fondness in my heart for installing RSTS from a TU-10
tapedrive and having to wait almost an hour for it to fall off the spindle
before having to start all over...

--David Miller

middle  rival
devil rim lad