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Conference 7.286::digital

Title:The Digital way of working
Moderator:QUARK::LIONELON
Created:Fri Feb 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5321
Total number of notes:139771

3490.0. "some comments on Digital in PC WEEK" by PCBUOA::SWANEY (Escape is never the safest path) Fri Nov 04 1994 15:17

    
    
    Just catching up on some reading and spotted this.
    
    
    
    **This is a reprint without permission from Oct24 PCWEEK**
    
    The Worst managed companies are revealed!
    -----------------------------------------
    (paragraph on Digital only)
    
    Digital Equipment Corp.
    
    "They eat their young and misunderstand technical trends," says windows
    source editor Dennis Eskow. "They killed their best efforts with
    corporate stupidity. Gave away leadership in communications,processing
    technology, and distributed processing. If I owned the Alpha chip, I'd
    be bowling with Bill Gates by now."
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3490.1Skew !OTOOA::MOWBRAYThis isn't a job its an AdventureFri Nov 04 1994 15:385
    just to keep things in perspective, please at least add the names of
    the other companies so that we don't get the impression that it was
    just about us.
    
    thnks
3490.2We're not #1SALEM::GREENSTEINFri Nov 04 1994 16:052
    IBM was first in the list.  Digital was second.  And Apple was also
    mentioned, but I can't remember if Apple was 3rd.
3490.3ain't that easy...MRKTNG::BROCKSon of a BeechFri Nov 04 1994 17:358
    His comment about 'if I owned the alpha chip, I'd be bowling with Gates
    by now....' is a relatively simplistic statement to make. Did the
    author deem to share what insights he or she had about the correct way
    to have done this? Or did the author care to share why, if (s)he is so
    endowed with marketing acumen,  (s)he is writing for a two-bit
    PC magazine?
    
    'A jackass can kick down a barn. Takes a smart man to build one'.
3490.4PCBUOA::SWANEYEscape is never the safest pathFri Nov 04 1994 17:3612
    
    
    Well he really doesn't rank the 6 companies he talks about he says this
    
    "Here are the six companies cited most often by my Electronic
    Roundtable"
    
    then he talks about IBM,DIGITAL,BORLAND,APPLE,MEDIA VISION and Novell
    he then goes on and gives some dishonorable mentions , CENTRAL POINT,
    ALDUS,MIRCOGRAFX,SPC SYMANTEC
    
    BS
3490.5Use a dose of salts here...POBOX::CORSONHigher, and a bit more to the rightFri Nov 04 1994 17:4616
    
    	Quick note. The author of the column started his series with the
    best companies before he got to the worst (in his estimation). The
    central theme was *product marketing*. Naturally Microsoft, Compaq,
    Sun and H-P were the leaders. IBM, Digital, etc. were not. Nothing new
    there.
    	The most interesting part is that PC Week was doing the talking.
    Since PCs is really not ALPHA, I believe it leaves us a lot of latitude
    to create a presence, especially in servers driven by both our hardware
    and software technologies around ALPHA.
    	The key, IMHO, is changing the rules of the marketplace. Starion is
    a start in the SOHO business. I for one will feel real good once ALPHA
    servers start moving thru alternative channels for small businesses and
    resellers thereof.
    
    			the Greyhawk
3490.6RANGER::CLARKFri Nov 04 1994 20:146
> If I owned the Alpha chip, I'd be bowling with Bill Gates by now."

Any suggestion as to whether he'd be using Mr.Gates in place of a candlepin ball
or a tenpin ball? Anyway, I'm sure BP could have done this as well, except that
it might have put a damper on the various Digital/Microsoft alliances (unless BG
has a wicked sense of humor).
3490.756821::SHERMANSteve NETCAD::Sherman DTN 226-6992, LKG2-A/R05 pole AA2Mon Nov 07 1994 12:294
    Of course, the flip side of this is that if this guy owned the Alpha
    chip, Bill Gates would now be poor enough to want go bowling with him ...
    
    Steve