Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bu-cs!bzs
From: bzs@bu-cs.BU.EDU (Barry Shein)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: VMS is not the evil empire
Message-ID: <20469@bu-cs.BU.EDU>
Date: 8 Mar 88 20:40:09 GMT
References: <12067@brl-adm.ARPA> <707@hdr.UUCP>
Organization: Boston U. Comp. Sci.
Lines: 25
In-reply-to: eric@hdr.UUCP's message of 7 Mar 88 14:51:12 GMT



>What does this have to do with choosing VMS over Ultrix?  Well, at least
>in our area, one would probably receive better *local* support for VMS
>than Ultrix.  KEEP IN MIND I am referring to LOCAL support!  Both VMS
>and Ultrix 'OS' (long distance call) level support for us has been excellent.
>
>-- 
>Eric J. Johnson         UUCP: eric@hdr.UUCP || ...!{ihnp4, codas}!hdr!eric

DEC's pathological resistance to providing hardware service on Vaxes
running Ultrix or Unix is a good reason not to buy Vaxes, it's no
reason not to buy Unix which can be had from responsible vendors.

This has been known for years as the "We can't fix it because it runs
Unix(Ultrix)" DEC field service standard excuse #1. There are few
people who have tried to run Unix on vaxes who haven't run into this,
often in serious ways (like yours, down for a week to replace a disk
drive and the vendor resisting the solution.) I had a tty mux down for
weeks while they did this finger pointing (on a 780), the final
resolution was that there was no +5 volts on the backplane segment (it
had burned out, was actually charred when they took it apart.) Right,
musta been Unix's fault...it's just a good excuse that unfortunately
is accepted by their field service management.

	-Barry Shein, Boston University