Xref: utzoo comp.lsi:1143 sci.electronics:13410
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!cmic!garvey
From: garvey@cmic.UUCP (Joe Garvey)
Newsgroups: comp.lsi,sci.electronics
Subject: Re: no PALASM90 on workstations
Message-ID: <378@cmic.UUCP>
Date: 7 Aug 90 20:56:28 GMT
References: <970@ssc.UUCP> <1990Aug6.153729.6462@funet.fi>
Followup-To: sci.electronics
Organization: Califonia Microwave Inc., Sunnyvale, CA.
Lines: 56

> >> 	The truth of software, and I assume
> >> 	you know this, is that it always entails ongoing investment in 
> >> 	maintenance, support, and upgrades.  If you guys can't figure this 
> >> 	out, I would be happy to do it for you for some AMD con$ulting 
> >> 	dollars :-)  After all, if Lotus Corp was able to make their peace 
> >> 	with Suns, AMD should too...  FYI, companies with much less 
> >> 	development bucks than Lotus & AMD are porting from PC -> Sparc,
> >> 	eg P-CAD, CUPL, Pads-PCB, etc.
> >                   ^^^^
> > 
> > Hey, if AMD isn't making any $$$ off of their software, and it's just 
> > a large lump in the customer support budget, they would probably prefer 
> > that you go to a third party.
> > 
> > markz@ssc.uucp
> 
> 
> Why couldn't AMD just place the software in PD as it was originally- someone
> would port it to for instance Suns and there we have a PALASM for workstations

> (yeah, I used the first FORTRAN PALASM ;-)
> 

I too used (and used and used) the first Fortran version (actually there
were two programs (PALASM20 and PALASM24)... I actually ended up doing
quite a few patches... But it worked. And that's all I really needed. A
simple way to generate the file and simulate a few test vectors. I got
the last version of AMD PALASM that was public source code. And that's
what we use. AMD no longer provides a tool on HP/UNIX systems. Part of
this is that they paid a third party to write a new front end. (Couldn't
read the texts on yacc/lex (bison/flex) ehh? :-)) They can't distribute
this source.

I feel really bad that this occurred. It clearly indicates that the folks
doing the marketing feel no need to supply tools across all machines.

I wonder if AMD notices understands that new parts only get designed in
if I can get the tools to design them in? For the HP, we're talking
serious $$.  I suspect other workstation users face the same problem.
The designs don't suffer badly using 22v10's, so that's all we use.
That's all we have tools for.

If elm, news, perl, etc can work on almost every machine, why can't AMD
use the users to support PALASM.  There are folks like myself that have
a long standing interest in PALASM, that HAVE patched/maintained it, if
AMD co-ordinated, PALASM could have a life of its own. One engineer,
part time... no serious $$ involved.

That's my 2 cents worth.

--

Joe Garvey                       UUCP: {apple,backbone}!versatc!mips!cmic!garvey
California Microwave             Internet: garvey%cmic@mips.com
990 Almanor Ave                  HP Desk: garvey (cmic@mips.com) / hp1900/ux
Sunnyvale, Ca, 94086