Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!think.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!casbah.acns.nwu.edu!nucsrl!tellab5!mcdchg!marcal!marc
From: marc@marcal.uucp (Marc Veeneman)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.hp
Subject: Re: SNAKE CLUSTER(?)
Message-ID: <1991May21.124031.29516@marcal.uucp>
Date: 21 May 91 12:40:31 GMT
References: <1991Apr15.204425.8682@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> <5570641@hpfcdc.HP.COM>
Organization: Marcal Systems Corporation
Lines: 21

>Given there is a non-zero cost for implementing and supporting these
>features, are you willing to pay more for an HP system with partitions
>on it ?  In a commodities market like Un*x, a vendor implements those
>features with highest ROI.  That means either high returns in terms of
>leveraging sales and/or low investment in terms of R&D and support.
>Apparently, partitions for workstations didn't make the cut.

Typical engineer's view of economics.  In the real world, the extra
cost is paid by normal margins on extra sales, not extra price.  Look
at the HP12C, sales have been so wonderful that margins could be re-
duced (price cut) to increase sales even more.  

Face it, HP (the world's largest Un*x vendor) is IN the commodities
market.


-- 
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