Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!bcstec!galileo!rfh3273 From: rfh3273@galileo.rtn.ca.boeing.com (Dick Harrigill) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apollo Subject: Re: The Hardy Few Keywords: arrogance DM abandonment california_dreamin' Message-ID: <351@galileo.rtn.ca.boeing.com> Date: 9 Apr 91 20:40:57 GMT References: Organization: Boeing Commercial Airplanes Lines: 45 In article mishkin@jrst.apollo.hp.com (Nathaniel Mishkin) writes: >It's really nice to hear about how people like the DM and DOMAIN but >I'm afraid it's just very late in the game. Unless I've been dreaming, Apollo users have, since day 1, loudly proclaimed that they do NOT wish to lose functionality and have to constantly re-port software. It's really nice to hear about how HP listens to their customers, but I'm afraid it's just very untrue. Every ADUS conference since the merger has had users, sys admins & developers pleading (in writing) not to abandon us. >The world decided that >standard is better than better (and that even better in the form of >superset functionality is suspect). The world also decided that >cheaper (and better yet, free) is better than better. The rest -- you >must be standard and we're not going to let you make enough money (at >least in software) to do "better" as well as "standard" -- pretty much >follows on. What "world" do you live in? In the "real world" our objective is NOT to purchase the latest/greatest toys: it is to perform tasks as cost effective as possible to maximize profits. "Free" (as you desribe) is not necessarily better because it is not necessarily free (i.e. void of cost). With every "free" change comes millions of dollars in other costs including new hardware, software, training, loss of productivity during learning, possible loss of productivity due to loss of functionality, testing, verifying, trouble shooting, installing, coordinating - all of which cost $$$$. HP can give us, at no cost, the latest/greatest hardware, but if it doesn't run Domain/OS, have DM functionality AND run existing software, it will cost us dearly. Well, it's baseball season again and HP reminds me so much of the Seattle Mariners, a team with super potential that constantly gives its best players away and is thus a constant loser. Every other team in baseball seems to have a superstar former Mariner. Pretty soon, every other vendor will be selling products like hotcakes because they incorporate former Apollo features. -- Dick Harrigill, an independent voice from: Boeing Commercial Airplanes M/S 9R-49 PO BOX 3707 Renton Avionics/Flight Systems Seattle, WA 91824 Computing Support (206) 393-9539 rfh3273@galileo.rtn.ca.boeing.com