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From: ForthNet@willett.pgh.pa.us (ForthNet articles from GEnie)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.forth
Subject: Forth Engines / Harris
Message-ID: <2042.UUL1.3#5129@willett.pgh.pa.us>
Date: 2 Dec 90 16:59:46 GMT
Organization: String, Scotch tape, and Paperclips.  (in Pgh, PA)
Lines: 33

Category 6,  Topic 15
Message 204       Sun Dec 02, 1990
F.SERGEANT [Frank]           at 00:02 CST
 
 Harris & the RTX & tears
 .
 I am sorry that Harris has made announcements that will discourage the  use
of the RTX2000 & RTX2001A in new designs.  Perhaps, though, they  did the
honorable thing, rather than leading people on.
 .
 Could they, instead, have said something like:  "The RTX processors  are
perfect.  They are so good that they will work unchanged for the  next 20
years.  We promise to supply them come hell or high-water for  at least the
next 20 years.  We won't build fancier development  environments because they
just don't need them."
 .
 Maybe that's why I'm not a semiconductor manufacturer.  Damn it!   They've
already *spent* the money getting the chips working and writing  the spec
sheets and building their blue box and even (wasted?) a C  compiler.  Consider
it a bubble gum part.  Price it accordingly.  Sell  the RTX2001A for $15 in
singles.  Force people to use it on price alone  whether they like it or not. 
(Make 'em an offer they can't refuse.)   It worked a long time ago for the
6502!  It could have worked again, I  think.  It might not even be too late. 
They already lost the up-front  investment - what have they got to lose? 
Treat it almost like the hex  inverter chips they still make and sell.  What
an opportunity existed.   The window is almost closed, but there is still a
crack.  They don't  have to support it.  $15 in ones and no support - the
Forth community  will support it.  Grass roots and all that.  
 .
  -- Frank
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