Conference 7.286::digital

    It's not the first.  There was Net(work) University a while back.
    Never having attended either, I can't comment on the validity of
    the titles.
    
    Bob

    I am not sure but I think it has to do with a major product
    announcement presentation that we will be making soon.

Net(work) U(niversity) is a good name for it, because the attendees 
select specific areas of study, and form a curriculum from the various
seminars offered.  Thus a Net U attendee will get am education that is
focused on a specific area or "major."

Bob

    The reply a few back is quite right; the Littleton facility (TAY1)
    is going to house some new product announcements in January, and
    is further intended to be a kind of semi-permanent mini-DECworld.
    It's quite impressive, btw.
    
    Slightly off the topic but still fitting in, a couple of the local
    colleges (Franklin Pierce, and I think Daniel Webster) give academic
    credit for courses you've taken through Digital Ed Services.
    
    fwiw
    Jon

The Taylor street facility was taken over to prepare for several
major product announcements in January.  Most of these announcements 
will be in the desktop space, but not all.  (if you're interested 
in a relatively complete list, send me mail)

Anyway, this complete setup is being used during December for 
two weeks of Sales training programs.  The Sales force was
broken into groups and each group spent 1.5 days at DECtop
to learn about the new products.  The first floor of the building 
has partitions put up which hold large auditorium style conference rooms
for the "lecture" and the second floor is a large trad show
style floor showcasing all of the new products.     

the first sessions were Wednesday, thursday and friday last
week.  They went off very well, with a large number of 
attendees seeing products that will be announced in January.

The next sessions (West Coast Sales) is next week, and then
the facility will sit (somewhat ) dormant until the announcement
in January.



Overall, it is pretty impressive.  The demos are well done, and the 
show floor has LOTS of neat, new stuff.


-bill
Who was a floor worker, answering questions about upcoming
workstation products.

    24 of us jus (last August) completed Transaction Processing University
    back in Bedford.  A 39 week program.  Probably as close to a
    'University' as we'll get...
    
    Now we'll see if the University of Phoenix will give me any 'life
    experience' credit for the 17000 overheads I looked at.
    
    Gil
    

	I don't believe that DEC is accredited by State Regents or other
	similar body to grant academic degrees.

	It is quite common in the world of business to use the word University
	in relation to signifigent training sessions. For example, McDonalds
	has been running Hamburger University for something like 15-20 years.
	I think Dunkin Donuts has a Donut University. I'm sure there are
	more examples (though listing more is probably a rat hole).

			Alfred

    what's happening to the "campus" that was to have been developed
    in Boylston?  is that still happening, and, if so, has anyone learned
    when it might be opening?
    
    thanks,
    marge

    re .0
    
    I concur with you. From DEC standard issue "American Heritage Dictionary": 
    University: "An institution of higher learning with teaching and research
    facilities comprising a graduate school, professional schools, and
    an undergraduate division". The languages is being abused, but we are not
    the sole culprits as other replies indicate.
    
    On the brighter side: if "Central New England College" is a college,
    then "DECtop U" is a University! ;-) 
    (I have a feeling I'll catch some heat on this one) 

    Alex    
    Alex

        re .8 and Boylston "campus" - it's still being planned,
        though the groundbreaking, scheduled for late August, has
        still not happened (to my knowledge).
        
        It's going to be the "Corporate Education Center".  The
        main purpose will be to replace (most of) the training
        center in Bedford with expanded and modernized classrooms,
        and will add living facilities and amenities.
        
        To my knowledge, it isn't meant to be anything like the
        "university" concept being discussed in this topic.
        
Jim Stratton
        

    
    re .8
    
    	Yes, Central New England is a college.  It's an accredited school
    of higher learning which grants bachelor's degrees in both liberal
    arts and science.  That, by definition, is a college.  So, what's
    your point?
    
    					John G.

all of what Jim said in .10 is correct.......

	Groundbreaking is now scheduled for May 15, 1989,
	and occupancy for December, 1990.
        
Frank
(member of the Corporate Education Center Steering Committee)
        

    Thanks...sorry for the rathole.
    
    m

    RE:  .11
    
    I think the point is Central New England College's reputation
    (or lack of).  Everything I have heard about this place conjurs
    up images of a fly by night diploma mill.
    
    

I was curious too when I drove by DECTop University in Littleton, MA
so I pulled up to the lobby and went in. What happened was rather unique
among my DEC experiences: I was shown the door and asked to leave because
I was not on an "access list" for the building.

Given what some folks have said about it, I guess I understand it a
little better. But it's the first University I have ever been thrown
out of! :-)

    RE: .15
    
    MOst of the reason for the lack of access is that most people from the
    company would really like to attend an announcement, but it's damned
    near impossible to accept them.  The logistics people who ran that
    facility for the past month have to be commended, as the schedules and
    building control were superb.  (coming from someone who spent a decent
    amount of time at DECtop doing demos, announcement support, training
    support and the like)
    
    
    As you all know by now, the DECtop facility was used to announce quite
    a range of products for the desktop  (and will be used to announce some
    other neat new stuff in a couple of weeks)  The desktop stuff included
    the following:  (I hope I don't forget anything)
    
    	DECstation 3100, RISC (MIPS) based workstation and servers (PMAX)
     	VAXstation 3100, VAX based workstations and servers (PVAX)
    	DECstation 210, 316 and 320, Tandy based PCs
    	DECwindows software (PC, VMS and Ultrix)
    	VAXpc (a VMS based PC emulator for DECwindows)
    	VAXImage, A DECwindows based imaging system
    	Desktop service organization (program announced)
    	VAXstation 3520, 3540 (Firefox) 3D graphics workstations (program
    		announced)
    
    It's a rather substantial announcement for Digital in the desktop
    space,  bringing Digital back to the forefront of the workstation
    market.  We're currently #2 worldwide, and on our way to pass Sun.
    
    
    -bill

    Just a side question. Is there a notes file for the DECstation 3100
    yet? If so what is the location? Many thanks.
    
    Renis

	As far as I know, no new conference has yet been announced for
	the new workstations (VMS, UNIX *or* MS-DOS based) but when it
	happens it should be announced in TURRIS::EASYNET_CONFERENCES
	and will appear in ANCHOR::NET$LIBRARY:EASYNOTES.LIS soon there
	after.

			Alfred

        Since the DECstation 3100 is a UNIX (ULTRIX) workstation, there
        are a variety of conferences where discussion might be suitable.
        As Alfred indicates, they are already listed in the appropriate
        place.  I have reason to believe that a conference for the new
        MS-DOS DECstations is imminent, but I don't know about the 3100. 
        
        Tom

>>    The reply a few back is quite right; the Littleton facility (TAY1)
>>    is going to house some new product announcements in January, and
>>    is further intended to be a kind of semi-permanent mini-DECworld.


	Now that the January announcements are over the sign 'DECtop
University' is gone.  The building is empty and so is the parking lot.  Now
what?  Is it going to be used as a kind of semi-permanent mini-DECworld?
When?

Matt

        Just today, I happened to talk with one of the Media
        Communications Group people who were critical to making DECtop
        the success it was.  (Hope I don't sound too biased - I'm
        part of MCG but had nothing to do with DECtop.)  He said
        that the plan is to set up a permanent, "mini" version
        of DECtop in Marlboro - MRO4.
        
        He wasn't sure which group was going to move into TAY1,
        but presumably they know who they are.
        
Jim Stratton
        

    
    	The Networks Hardware organization is moving into TAY, as the
    PBU has outgrown the LKG complex.

And there is also my group...System Evaluation Engineering.  We were squeezed
out of the Mill.

(that's in TAY2)
(Who's in TAY1? more Networks Hardware?)