From: Jim Choate <ravage@ssz.com>
Date: Tue, 27 Jan 1998 05:11:52 +0800
To: cypherpunks@ssz.com (Cypherpunks Distributed Remailer)
Subject: Compaq / DEC buyout (fwd)
Message-ID: <199801262104.PAA28864@einstein.ssz.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text



Forwarded message:

> Date: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 15:46:58 -0800
> From: David Miller <dm0@avana.net>
> Subject: Compaq / DEC buyout

> 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.

Had DEC not been bought this is exactly (IMO) what would have happened.

> 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.

Unless my info is seriously off DEC is already shipping 500MHz Alpha's and
has 1GHz chips in test. DEC historicaly has been way ahead of Intel (say a
year or so which in this business is a lot) and I don't see any reason to
suspect that to stop. A comparison of base technology between Intel and DEC
leads me to believe DEC is ahead a good margin. Intel won because of the
price (DEC has historicaly been very expensive) and support of MS and IBM.
(remember, nobody ever lost their job for buying IBM)

> 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.

The only question I have is whether MS will continue to produce a HAL for
WinNT 5.0 or whatever they call it. That could put a serious crimp in
Compaq/DEC and would most definitely spawn a new round of lawsuites.

Had you realized that when we break the 1GHz barrier it won't be safe to
operate these machines without the cover on them? It'd be like breaking the
inter-lock on your microwave.


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