[rescue] UnOracle patches for Solaris

[Patrick Giagnocavo]

Scott Quinn wrote:
> 
> SGI's problems went far beyond any good faith lost in the logo change. They
> were caught in technological change (proprietary custom microprocessors and
> graphics sets were starting to be too much $$ investment for the improved
> performance) and a business change (you couldn't have profit margins as high
> as SGI was used to and survive). They weren't quite sure how to approach the
> technological change (wound up foundering like a ship with the rudder
> missing), but they tried, whereas they never did quite deal with the change in
> the business situation (similar to what befell DEC). Engineering-wise they
> still had it - look at the systems they were putting out (NIUMAlink and
> ODYSSEY graphics, and even dare I say the original VWS product line), they
> just didn't know how to harness that talent in the changing marketplace.
> 

They told their customers that NT was the future - instantly ticking off
any good Unix sysadmin, and forcing immediate plans for migration away
from SGI.

Then they wasted a bunch of engineering time on NT, when they could have
been putting all the wood behind one arrow in the form of IRIX.

Then they retreated to the high end, when their knockout hit was the
modestly price Indy, which served as an excellent way to get people
familiar with SGI.

> The logo was incidental. Had they delivered compelling products at a
> reasonable value with a future that you could trust the logo wouldn't have
> mattered beyond a few old-timers grumbling.
> _______________________________________________

Agreed.

Cordially

Patrick