From: robw@cs.bu.edu (Robert Winchester)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.prime
Subject: Re: 50series
Date: 24 Jul 92 19:42:49 GMT
Reply-To: Info-Prime@Blx-A.Prime.COM
Organization: Computer Science Department, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA

In article <9207241650.AA17763@usenet.rpi.edu> you write:
>Douglas Rand writes:
>> Probably nothing.  Truthfully, there is nothing remarkable and many
>> things deplorable in the 50 series architecture,  especially from the
>> view of byte languages like C.  Other machines implement protection
>> rings (386, 486, PA-RISC) and could support a gated OS.  Most current
>> architectures support IEEE FP (a good thing) and have reasonable
>> VM models.
>>
>> What market would such a company mine?  Even ever popular minis like
>> the VAX are fading away.  In a world where the desktop is now getting
....
>> --
>> Douglas S. Rand <drand@osf.org>		OSF/Motif Dev.
>> Snail:         11 Cambridge Center,  Cambridge,  MA  02142
>> Disclaimer:    I don't know if OSF agrees with me... let's vote on it.
>> Amateur Radio: KC1KJ
>
>What Douglas seems to miss is the fact that however deplorable the 50 series
>architecture may or may not be, it runs and runs *very* well.  It does it's
>job.  We average 99.8% uptime across 15 of machines -- year after year.
>I want our business to run and could care less about byte languages.
>As far as a market,I have a $20 million investment in software which will take
>a long time and a LOT of money to convert to anything else.  I will need
>to provide more horsepower for an ever increasing demand for cycles for
>several years even if the monies could be found for hardware purchases and
>software conversions.  I'm sure that if the game is still distributed
>processing by the time funding can be found and plans laid, then
...
>Mike O'Rear.  Usual & standard disclaimers. I am me, USC is USC.

   The strong point of the 50 Series is that it is has been around for a
long time. This was one of (if not the) first 32 bit machines that came
out. However, as most of you know, the first ones where 16 bit machines,
then 32 bit was added as an improvement to the series. 
   64 bit machines from other vendors are now just starting to ship. If not
for the LBO, RIF and the economy, I bet Prime would have the 50 Series
doing 64 bit addressing too. However, this is never going to happen,
according to the news this week. 
   While it is true that Primos has troubles, what OS does not? Most 
Prime-a-tized Programmers must know that most of the engineering people
have been "let go." How can any complex product be modernized when the 
few remaining people have to spend all of their time fixing the old 
problems that never got fixed. (they do (did???) a really good job.)
   Since I am writing, I have a question: Would any one actually buy 
COMPUTERVISION products? I mean this in all seriousness. After all, 
the company is run by the same people who ran Prime Computer. Since the
most important, and expensive part of software is support, after seeing
with my own eyes, Shields close Prime's HQ in Natick MA; I have doubts.


Oh well, 

_Rob Winchester robw@csa.bu.edu 

HAM:ka1rnc *****************************************************************
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Newsgroups: comp.sys.prime