[rescue] Compaq Proliant 8000

[Sheldon T. Hall]

Dave McGuire says ...
> On Apr 29, 2004, at 3:41 PM, Sheldon T. Hall wrote:
> >>> The problem isn't that the thing was poorly designed for its time,
> >>> but that we haven't learned from the PC's design compromises and
> >>> moved on to something better.
> >>
> >> [Dave replied ...]
> >>    Bullshit.  The rest of the computer industry moved past the archaic
> >> PC architecture years ago.
> >
> > [ ... and my snappy rejoinder was ...]
> > Yeah, but that other stuff doesn't sell in anything like the volume
> > PCs do.
> >
> > NB: I'm not talking "good" here, just "popular" and "profitable to
> > make and sell."
> >
> > NB2: I'm not advocating the purchase, use or discussion of PCs.  Or
> > even the toleration.  Just the understanding.  "Know thine enemy"
> > and all that.
>
>    I know that.  You've obviously missed my entire point.  It was
> probably my fault for not explaining myself more clearly.

... A nice way of saying "let me say that again, but slower, so you'll get
it."

>    Eventually, vendors are responsible to *us*.  *WE* control what they
> build, more than they do...our effects on what they build just have a
> longer time constant than their management.

Yup.

>    If people stop buying PCs, companies will eventually stop making PCs.
> If people stop buying Windows, eventually Microsoft will stop selling
> Windows.

Most likely.

>    The trouble is, the FUCKING SHEEP in this society have gotten used to
> being told what to buy...

The flock is large, and we are few.

> ... which puts the vendors in a wonderful
> position.  It allows them to build complete shit products as cheaply as
> possible, with ZERO attention to quality (ahem...PCs, Windows) and then
> order the obedient people to buy them.  And they do!

Well, half the people are below average, after all.

>    If people would get off their asses, learn about the issues, make
> informed decisions, and exercise some free will, PCs and Windows will
> DIE.

I'd like to believe that, but, people being people, and the number of utter
crap products in every category being huge, it's tough to keep the faith.
I'd love to find some area in which some variant of Gresham's Law does not
prevail.

-Shel