Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!apple!metaphor!xymox!philf
From: philf@xymox.metaphor.com (Phil Fernandez)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: ERISC???
Message-ID: <847@metaphor.Metaphor.COM>
Date: 15 Oct 89 00:35:31 GMT
References: <16190@vail.ICO.ISC.COM> <4424@bd.sei.cmu.edu>
Sender: news@metaphor.Metaphor.COM
Reply-To: philf@xymox.metaphor.com (Phil Fernandez)
Organization: Metaphor Computer Systems, Mountain View, CA
Lines: 36

In article <4424@bd.sei.cmu.edu> firth@sei.cmu.edu (Robert Firth) writes:
>...
>Alas, I beg to differ.  We have seen this strategy before from the
>dinosaurs, and it is very effective.  What three-piece-suited executive
>is now going to order an R3000 or a SPARC, when in 12 months' time
>(or more like 18), Big Blue is going to come out with the Real Thing?
>This announcement will inhibit people from buying a new machine because
>it is less risky to wait and see.

Wait a minute.  Remember that many three-piece-suited executives
making buying decisions know plenty about IBM's upcoming product and
announcment, and are making wait-or-buy decisions based on those
facts.

For example, I was recently down to IBM's Advanced Workstation
Division Austin center for a full briefing about the new IBM RISC
line.  I've seen and touched the boxes; I've heard concrete
architecture, price and performance information.  I definitely have
enough information to make a wait/buy decision.  (No comment on the
decision; I'm under non-disclosure :)

phil

p.s. Oh, I only wore a two-piece suit...






+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------------+
| Phil Fernandez              |             philf@metaphor.com               |
|                             |     ...!{apple|decwrl}!metaphor!philf        |
| Metaphor Computer Systems   |"Does the body rule the mind, or does the mind|
| Mountain View, CA           | rule the body?  I dunno..." - Morrissey      |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------------+