[rescue] openvms/itanium

[Eric Dittman]

> > http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=b1et1g%241nc%241%40web1.cup.hp.com
> >
> > We are please to announce that OpenVMS has booted on an HP i2000 Itanium
> > system. By successfully executing a DIRECTORY command the official date
> > and time for the Boot Contest is January 31, 2003 3:31 PM EST.
> 
> Hmmmmm...  I don't know whether this is good or bad.

Good, since VMS is now architecture-independent.  If Intel
doesn't pull a rabbit out of their hat and fix IPF, or if
HP decides that they've bleed enough on the IPF, HP has
two alternative for VMS:

1)  Resurrect Alpha.  A simple die shrink for EV7 will keep
the Alpha competitive for about three years, which would give
them time to get EV9 going (given the problems EV8 was having,
and the fact that they'd have to backtrack quite a bit, EV9
would be a better place to start).

2)  Port VMS to another architecture.  The rumor has POWER4
as the leading contender if this happens, which would be
very interesting considering at that point the POWER family
would have AIX, OS/400, OS X, and VMS.  Alternatively, they
could port to MIPS or keep PA-RISC alive and port there.
-- 
Eric Dittman
dittman at dittman.net
Check out the DEC Enthusiasts Club at http://www.dittman.net/