Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!lll-winken!cert!netnews.upenn.edu!desci!shull From: shull@desci (Christopher E. Shull) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apollo Subject: Re: HP Hype (new role for ADUS) Summary: 10K dead end, DomainOS migration path, ADUS mission Message-ID: <42148@netnews.upenn.edu> Date: 28 Apr 91 16:04:51 GMT References: <910427181103.2a79@CIM-VAX.HONEYWELL.COM> <1991Apr28.061037.8050@midway.uchicago.edu> Sender: news@netnews.upenn.edu Followup-To: comp.sys.apollo Organization: Decision Sciences, Wharton School, U. of Penn Lines: 59 Nntp-Posting-Host: desci.wharton.upenn.edu In article <1991Apr28.061037.8050@midway.uchicago.edu> rtp1@quads.uchicago.edu (raymond thomas pierrehumbert) writes about the DN10K dead end. At the Mid-Atlantic Chapter meeting of ADUS Thursday, we put Rich Wilkie and Alan Holbrook from Chelmsford on the grill about where the 10K 2 upgrades were, and received what seems to be an honest answer. Rich's perspective was that HP/ASY was now seeking a new firm to fabricate the 10K 2 processors, as the orignial firm cannot, although he was not confident that one could be found. With respect to software, the 10K will continue to receive upgrades, support and bug fixes. He also suggested that an attractive trade in program to HP 700 Series systems was being considered. From my perspective, getting off the 10K would be a priority, as it is clearly not the focal point of HP resources, nor should it be. Having just finished a technical evaluation of workstations from DEC, HP, IBM and Sun, the clear performance leader is HP, and from what I've heard about 90MHz systems already running in their Labs, which would yeild >100 SPECmarks, they will be able to hold onto that lead for 12-18 months. Right now, the only weaknesses from the perspectives of our evaluation, are that many third party software companies don't know if their software runs on the 700's (even though they run on the 800's), and there is no workstation for around $5000. Hopefully time will quickly resolve the first point, and the "Bushwacker" system due out later this {year | summer} will solve the later point. With respect to protecting investments in general, I would venture that HP is doing a better job of protecting our Apollo investments than Apollo would be able to do from the Chapter 11 state they would probably be in by now if HP had not bought them. They are certainly doing better than Sun did for Sun 2 users when they brought out the Sun 3 line. :-) The facts that HP has limited resources, and that ADUS' mission is to foster the ability of its members to solve problems using HP/Apollo systems, imply that one of the main goals of ADUS should be to help everyone switch to OSF on HP's new, strategic platform as quickly as possible. This would lead to better concentration of resources on everything from hardware, through software, to support. Further, it would defragment the HP installed base and encourage third parties to develop for that OSF platform. Thus, ADUS has an educational mission to its members, to explain the simple economics that mandate a rapid change to OSF (yeah, I know it isn't even shipping yet, but "rapid" to me means 2 or 3 years instead of 4-6). As many users will be unable to move until their third-party applications do, ADUS has another roll, that of leaning on third-parties to port to the new platforms in a timely manner. Given the conversion tools HP is talking about for supporting such conversions, this shouldn't be as hard as one might think. Anybody have any other ideas? :-) -Chris Christopher E. Shull Chairman, Mid-Atlantic Chapter of ADUS Decision Sciences Department The Wharton School shull@desci.wharton.upenn.edu University of Pennsylvania 3620 Locust Walk (215) 898-5930 (voice) Philadelphia, PA 19104-6366 (215) 898-3664 (fax)