[rescue] This Just In: HP to buy Compaq

[Dave McGuire]

On September 5, Robert Rose wrote:
> Nevertheless, who really cares about the x86 stuff, given the Alpha CPU is 
> dead (anyone organised a wake yet?)

  The only thing that irritates me more than the attitude "XXX is
useless because the manufacturer isn't selling new ones anymore" is
"it was just announced that XXX will be discontinued in the future so
it's now 'dead'".  Has it occurred to anyone that the number length of
time between now and the stated discontinuance of the Alpha is
significantly longer than the lifespan of the average stupid PeeCee?

  If salespeople really knew how much control they have over what
technical people say is "dead" or "alive" they'd have even bigger egos
than they already do.

  C'mon, people.  Did *anyone* read the press release?  New Alphas will
be rolling out of the factory for multiple YEARS.  And after that
time, all the ones on the street aren't magically going to stop
procesing data.  There are a LOT of alphas out there.  I can make a
phone call and buy pdp8 hardware...how long has THAT been
discontinued, and look how many more Alphas were produced than pdp8s?!

      -Dave

-- 
Dave McGuire
Laurel, MD