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Groups > alt.folklore.computers > #148898
| From | "Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> |
|---|---|
| Newsgroups | alt.folklore.computers |
| Subject | Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 |
| Date | 2015-07-24 11:46 +1000 |
| Message-ID | <d1djnpFllp8U1@mid.individual.net> (permalink) |
| References | (1 earlier) <PM00051B75E9682BEF@aca40d0e.ipt.aol.com> <h8i48c-51j.ln1@sambook.reistad.name> <PM00051B8A0E4F9560@aca24c78.ipt.aol.com> <dt788c-0tn.ln1@sambook.reistad.name> <V5CdnbstLJk4DCzInZ2dnUU78bWdnZ2d@giganews.com> |
"Andrew Swallow" <am.swallow@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:V5CdnbstLJk4DCzInZ2dnUU78bWdnZ2d@giganews.com...
> On 23/07/2015 23:54, Morten Reistad wrote:
>> In article <PM00051B8A0E4F9560@aca24c78.ipt.aol.com>,
>> jmfbahciv <See.above@aol.com> wrote:
>>> Morten Reistad wrote:
>>>> In article <PM00051B75E9682BEF@aca40d0e.ipt.aol.com>,
>>>> jmfbahciv <See.above@aol.com> wrote:
>>>>> Tim Streater wrote:
>>>>>> In article <PM00051B623040E297@aca42ea8.ipt.aol.com>, jmfbahciv
>>>>>> <See.above@aol.com> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Andrew Swallow wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> It could just as easily have been described as being in the
>>>>>>>> operating
>>>>>>>> system business, each of which came with some free hardware.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> No. We didn't make money on OSes.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> No; that was not the business plan. Our tradeoffs were always based
>>>>>>> on hardware being the primary business, not software.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Doomed in the long run, then. It was never gonna compete with
>>>>>> low-cost
>>>>>> generic hardware.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> And what's the point of selling hardware with no software?
>>>>>
>>>>> You are assuming that all hardware was sold as _systems_. this was
>>>>> not
>>>>> the case until about 1980.
>>>>>
>>>>>> People buy
>>>>>> computers to use as tools, not to write bespoke software on,
>>>>>> certainly
>>>>>> not at least if the bespoke software they're writing is 99% the same
>>>>>> as
>>>>>> the guy's next door.
>>>>>
>>>>> The "computer as a tool" didn't happen until the mid-80s when PCs
>>>>> became
>>>>> cheap enough for Joe Shmoe to buy and use.
>>>>
>>>> Not generally. But in labs and other such niches such as factory
>>>> floors etc the computer-as-a-tool emerged as early as the early 70s.
>>>
>>> I should have put this "computer as a tool" right after the line where
>>> I wrote "sold as _systems_". That's what I was talking about.
>>>
>>>>
>>>> For${GOD}ssake, the very naming of the PDP hint very clearly that this
>>>> was the case even a decade earlier.
>>>>
>>>> But the failure to really integrate with the PC was the doom of DEC.
>>>> Out-Novelling Novell should have been possible, selling DEC gear as
>>>> the servers, and getting a foothold in the corporate world to expand
>>>> out from would have been easy to see ca 1984.
>>>>
>>>> But not from within DEC.
>>>>
>>>> This was not specific to DEC. The other mini and BUNCH vendors failed
>>>> just as miserably.
>>>
>>> I know. There was only just so much we could have done :-( after
>>> the two debacles which changed DEC's history forever.
>>>
>>> /BAH
>>
>> It was not a debacle or two. It was Moore's Law. Steadily eroding the
>> price per computing unit by half every 18 months. Sure, for 4-5 years
>> you can do more of the same, but you will have to shift architectures
>> when the price per unit has gone down by 90%.
>>
>> Go look at a plot of Moore's Law. It is a log-log straight line from
>> the mid 1950s (as early as we can have reliable input) until today.
>>
>> OK, speed per single processor reached a peak ca 2006. But the cost per
>> computing unit is still going down very much according to Moore's Law.
>>
>> What is simply amazing is that NOONE inside the industry saw what
>> was happeing with the primary driver of their business. At least saw
>> it clearly enough to act on it.
>>
>> All the same, we on the outside saw it well and clear. I still harp
>> about our May 27th 1983 bet.
> The directors had to decide to put a new computer on the catwalk every 18
> months. When one computer went on sale the design team needed to be
> commanded to start work on its replacement.
The problem was that hardly anyone except those who
had bought DEC systems before that were interested in
what they designed and that was never enough once
the PC showed up to allow DEC to remain viable.
> There is still a deep believe that the customer can have any colour he
> likes providing it is black around.
That wasn’t the problem with DEC.
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Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 jmfbahciv <See.above@aol.com> - 2015-07-19 13:25 +0000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 jmfbahciv <See.above@aol.com> - 2015-07-20 13:29 +0000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Tim Streater <timstreater@greenbee.net> - 2015-07-20 14:42 +0100
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 jmfbahciv <See.above@aol.com> - 2015-07-21 12:53 +0000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Lon <lon.stowell@comcast.net> - 2015-07-20 07:50 -0600
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 "Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> - 2015-07-21 05:46 +1000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 jmfbahciv <See.above@aol.com> - 2015-07-20 13:29 +0000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Andrew Swallow <am.swallow@btinternet.com> - 2015-07-20 16:13 +0100
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 jmfbahciv <See.above@aol.com> - 2015-07-21 12:53 +0000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Tim Streater <timstreater@greenbee.net> - 2015-07-21 14:01 +0100
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2015-07-21 14:42 +0000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Tim Streater <timstreater@greenbee.net> - 2015-07-21 15:53 +0100
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 jmfbahciv <See.above@aol.com> - 2015-07-22 12:20 +0000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 jmfbahciv <See.above@aol.com> - 2015-07-22 12:20 +0000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Andrew Swallow <am.swallow@btinternet.com> - 2015-07-22 16:58 +0100
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Peter Flass <peter_flass@yahoo.com> - 2015-07-22 16:07 +0000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Ahem A Rivet's Shot <steveo@eircom.net> - 2015-07-22 19:35 +0100
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2015-07-30 22:50 +0000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Ahem A Rivet's Shot <steveo@eircom.net> - 2015-07-31 09:00 +0100
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 jmfbahciv <See.above@aol.com> - 2015-07-23 12:22 +0000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 "Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> - 2015-07-24 05:52 +1000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 "Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> - 2015-07-23 06:41 +1000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 jmfbahciv <See.above@aol.com> - 2015-07-22 12:20 +0000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com - 2015-07-22 07:25 -0700
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Peter Flass <peter_flass@yahoo.com> - 2015-07-22 16:02 +0000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com - 2015-07-22 10:20 -0700
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Morten Reistad <first@last.name.invalid> - 2015-07-22 19:37 +0200
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Gene Wirchenko <genew@telus.net> - 2015-07-23 15:37 -0700
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Morten Reistad <first@last.name.invalid> - 2015-07-24 01:17 +0200
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Gene Wirchenko <genew@telus.net> - 2015-07-24 11:12 -0700
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 jmfbahciv <See.above@aol.com> - 2015-07-24 11:52 +0000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Morten Reistad <first@last.name> - 2015-07-24 18:01 +0200
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Peter Flass <peter_flass@yahoo.com> - 2015-07-24 20:41 +0000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> - 2015-07-24 17:06 -0400
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 jmfbahciv <See.above@aol.com> - 2015-07-25 12:42 +0000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Peter Flass <peter_flass@yahoo.com> - 2015-07-25 14:13 +0000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 lawrence@cluon.com - 2015-07-27 03:00 +0200
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Peter Flass <peter_flass@yahoo.com> - 2015-07-27 14:08 +0000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Anne & Lynn Wheeler <lynn@garlic.com> - 2015-07-27 08:43 -0700
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Anne & Lynn Wheeler <lynn@garlic.com> - 2015-07-27 13:56 -0700
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Ahem A Rivet's Shot <steveo@eircom.net> - 2015-07-25 17:23 +0100
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 "Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> - 2015-07-26 05:49 +1000
Re: process accounting, was 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2015-07-27 13:24 +0000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Morten Reistad <first@last.name.invalid> - 2015-07-25 16:30 +0200
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 sidd@situ.com (sidd) - 2015-07-26 01:05 -0400
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2015-07-27 13:23 +0000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 "Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> - 2015-07-30 16:24 +1000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 jmfbahciv <See.above@aol.com> - 2015-07-23 12:22 +0000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 "Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> - 2015-07-24 05:58 +1000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 jmfbahciv <See.above@aol.com> - 2015-07-23 12:22 +0000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 "Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> - 2015-07-24 05:58 +1000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2015-07-30 22:50 +0000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 "JHY" <JHY5566@nospam.com> - 2015-07-31 14:00 +1000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Ahem A Rivet's Shot <steveo@eircom.net> - 2015-07-31 09:06 +0100
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Morten Reistad <first@last.name.invalid> - 2015-07-22 15:26 +0200
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com - 2015-07-22 09:53 -0700
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Tim Streater <timstreater@greenbee.net> - 2015-07-22 18:23 +0100
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 "JHY" <JHY5566@nospam.com> - 2015-07-23 06:08 +1000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Morten Reistad <first@last.name.invalid> - 2015-07-22 22:44 +0200
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 "Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> - 2015-07-23 06:38 +1000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 jmfbahciv <See.above@aol.com> - 2015-07-23 12:22 +0000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 "Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> - 2015-07-24 05:57 +1000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Andrew Swallow <am.swallow@btinternet.com> - 2015-07-24 02:07 +0100
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 "Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> - 2015-07-24 11:43 +1000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Morten Reistad <first@last.name.invalid> - 2015-07-24 00:54 +0200
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 "Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> - 2015-07-24 10:21 +1000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Andrew Swallow <am.swallow@btinternet.com> - 2015-07-24 02:15 +0100
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 "Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> - 2015-07-24 11:46 +1000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2015-07-24 05:59 -0700
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2015-07-24 06:00 -0700
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2015-07-22 11:19 -0700
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 "JHY" <JHY5566@nospam.com> - 2015-07-23 06:26 +1000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 jmfbahciv <See.above@aol.com> - 2015-07-23 12:22 +0000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 "Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> - 2015-07-24 05:51 +1000
Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 "Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> - 2015-07-23 06:40 +1000
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