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From: grenley@sunkist.UUCP (George Grenley)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.nsc.32k
Subject: Re: Ex-national employees un-niceties
Message-ID: <1192@cirrusl.UUCP>
Date: 22 Dec 89 03:40:09 GMT
References: <1914@minyos.xx.rmit.oz> <410@sibyl.eleceng.ua.OZ> <1168@cirrusl.UUCP> <13471@nsc.nsc.com>
Sender: news@cirrusl.UUCP
Reply-To: grenley@sunkist (George Grenley)
Organization: CIRRUS LOGIC Inc.
Lines: 59

In article <13471@nsc.nsc.com> levy@nsc.nsc.com.UUCP (Jonathan Levy) writes:
>In article <1168@cirrusl.UUCP> grenley@sunkist (George Grenley) writes:

>>It's nice to see the activity level up in this group again.  It's been
>>sooooo quiet for awhile.

>.. followed by some very unprofessional BS....


>I would strongly suggest that contributers to this newsgroup remain
>technical. I much prefer a quiet group over one that 
>wastes readers' time with personal grudges. I hope this is the last of
>this subject. 

>Jonathan

>>disclaimer: National isn't my employer anymore so I can now speak freely.

>p.s

>I have no longer any association with Mr. Grenley, so I can speak 
>freely too.

Let me speak plainly and professionally, then, Mr Levy.

Although there are a number of individuals at NSC who are competent, 
professional people, and hard-working individual contributors, the
32k division as a whole is terrible - mostly because of terrible
management, which I believe lies largely with the aforementioned
Dick Sanquini, although other higher-ups had a hand in running it
into the ground as well.

National's commitment to the 32k has been uneven and ragged.  Ask the
customers - Sequent, for instance, which switched to the '386 for their
new model, after getting a 32032 out the door.  Tektronix, which basically
never could get them to work right.

Frankly, any engineer who designs in any member of the 32k series is
making a very serious mistake.  Support is poor, period.  Since leaving
National (at National's request)  I have encountered several 32k users
who were very busy designing out their 32016, 32C016, and 32CG16, among 
others.  I will not say who in this posting because in some cases the
re-design is still underway, and so the info is confidential.

Let me close by re-iterating my opening remark:  Many of the engineers
who do the design work, both chip, board, and software, are extremely
bright, competent, hardworking individuals, and I count many of them as
my friends (although, after this posting, I daresay they won't consider
me the same way  8-) ).  Nevertheless, a number of the managers at NSC just
aren't that bright, I guess.  Certainly the 32k is an also-ran in the CPU
wars.

Perhaps we should have a vote?  How many people think NSC's engineers are
stupid?  How many think the management is stupid?  How many think everyone
there is brilliant but incredibly unlucky?

Regards,
George Grenley
Cirrus Logic, Inc.