Conference 7.286::digital

    Assuming 91 (or 92) days in a quarter, and $183m loss last quarter,
    that works out to almost exactly $3m/day (not $1m/day), so Palmer
    has returned it to the same rate as Ken.  kb
    

    re .1
    
    183/91 = 2.01
    
    183/92 = 2.01
    
    NOT 3.0
    

    embarrassment... yes, $2b a day.
    

    Two gigadollars a day works out to about $23+ per second...

>    embarrassment... yes, $2b a day.

More embarrassment: it's $2m, not $2b.

    re: .5
    
    Hey, when you're talking millions, what's three orders of magnitude? 
    :-)
    
    	Steve

    Morning,
    
    This piece really make more sense than most I have seen lately. It very
    clear that with PCI and Risc, component plug and play is moving from the
    desk top to the departmental machine and within a short time to the large
    back ends.
    
    The result will have to be "margin" run businesses. The only major
    current ones in our industry are component vendors.
    
    In some areas Digital is well placed, a sinlge machine, using PCI and
    Risc with multiple operating systems. In the areas I work I can't see
    Digital ever again selling 7000 or 10000's.
    
    Within the cabinet of the future will we see Mips processors, PowerPc
    etc in the 2100 ? I can't see why not really. Technically this could be
    hard but why not ?
    
    It would be nice selling really, buy my cabinet and from me buy
    whatever conponents you need. Components would of course include
    processor, disk, memory, operating system, data base, applications etc.
    
    As a supplier we could then provide the best in class to our customers
    all the time rather than just "Digital". In addition in this time of
    customer choice there would be far greater flexability to work with
    previously non Digital accounts.
    
    I have noticed recently that with our local PC group leading in major
    accounts that we could not previously get thru the door with that is
    easier and actually they are keen to work with us having once had the
    experiance.
    
      

    Customers want to get two simple things when they buy a computer:
    
     - Buy the (currently) best product for the best price
    
     - Get a reliable solution that supports their business
    
    Modularity of a product like Sable is important to lead in
    price/performance, because it can use the best products on the market.
    
    Providing a reliable solution to the customer requires us, the computer
    vendor, to take over the task of integrating the components, do the
    quality assurance and support the usage of the product.
    
    And by "components" I mean all parts of a solution, starting from
    hardware and operating systems, including middleware, all the way up to
    applications, consulting, project services and support. Basically
    anything a customer needs and wants to buy. 
    
    We certainly will not develop, manufacture or provide all components
    ourselves. But we are the ones to manage and integrate our partners and 
    suppliers in such a way, that the products are created that the market
    wants to buy from us. And that is the essential job of Marketing.
    
    Klaus

    
    i think we should not take it for granted that RISC ( Alpha,PowerPC,
    Mips ) will replace intel's 80x86 design. I think it is possible 
    but we need to be more aggresive with Alpha to do it.

re Note 3091.10 by POLAR::MOKHTAR:

>                           -< RISC is not for granted >-
  
        Intel seems to be planing on a transitional architecture, one
        that perhaps favors easy emulation or partial emulation of
        the classic architecture.

        I'm sure that they will make every technological -- and
        marketing -- effort to make sticking with "Intel Inside" the
        apparent easiest path.

        Bob

    
    RE: .-3
    
    Yes. The whole industry is going shrink-wrapped and commodity.
    Inevitable the day that Unix, TCP/IP, DOS, Windows became the
    dominant technologies that everyone had to integrate with.
    
     There will still be high-value custom projects, but there will be 
    intense competitions for those. 
    
    In general the companies that stay around will be:
    
    1) Lean and mean. We are painfully staggering towards this, Ihope we
       dont trip and fall.
    2) A "famous" company. That is, a household name - something that
       Digital definitely cannot aspire to be (try the "name 3 computers
       companies" test on someone you meet at a party). The "DEC" (what
       95% of our customers call us) versus "Digital" (what we pompously
       insist on calling ourselves) debate has a bearing here.
    3) Able to make/sell price/perf leading products with confidence and 
       knowledge. We can (and are) doing most of this.
    
    Alan T.