From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.2 (2018-09-13) on inbox.vuxu.org X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.0 required=5.0 tests=HEADER_FROM_DIFFERENT_DOMAINS, LOTS_OF_MONEY,MAILING_LIST_MULTI,RCVD_IN_DNSWL_NONE autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.2 Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (minnie.tuhs.org [45.79.103.53]) by inbox.vuxu.org (OpenSMTPD) with ESMTP id b23bcb87 for ; Wed, 16 Jan 2019 17:30:11 +0000 (UTC) Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id C820194FC2; Thu, 17 Jan 2019 03:30:08 +1000 (AEST) Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 88C2394FBC; Thu, 17 Jan 2019 03:29:53 +1000 (AEST) Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id 7C20A94FB8; Thu, 17 Jan 2019 03:29:51 +1000 (AEST) Received: from mcvoy.com (mcvoy.com [192.169.23.250]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 43F9C94FB7 for ; Thu, 17 Jan 2019 03:29:51 +1000 (AEST) Received: by mcvoy.com (Postfix, from userid 3546) id E88CC35E130; Wed, 16 Jan 2019 09:29:50 -0800 (PST) Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2019 09:29:50 -0800 From: Larry McVoy To: Paul Winalski Message-ID: <20190116172950.GL7733@mcvoy.com> References: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.24 (2015-08-30) Subject: Re: [TUHS] DEC and Dave Cutler (was Re: The John Snow's of the UNIX family) X-BeenThere: tuhs@minnie.tuhs.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.26 Precedence: list List-Id: The Unix Heritage Society mailing list List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Cc: The Eunuchs Hysterical Society Errors-To: tuhs-bounces@minnie.tuhs.org Sender: "TUHS" On Wed, Jan 16, 2019 at 11:55:03AM -0500, Paul Winalski wrote: > DEC's downfall was a total lack of skill at marketing. I have a different view, having been at Sun when Sun was eating DEC's lunch. Sun made stuff that was just as good as what DEC built but they were cheaper. DEC couldn't adapt to decent machines that didn't cost a big pile. History repeats itself, Sun couldn't wean itself off $20,000 workstations when you could get an almost as fast PC for 1/4th or less of that price point. I think perhaps the problem is that companies like that get big revenue and can afford to do crazy amounts of engineering. Then the market shifts and they can't really shift with it, they tell themselves they don't want to ship junk.