On DEC boxes:
Just got through eval'ing two DEC Alpha workstations in our department
(Engineering Group)... Sure, the processor is fast, but the NT O/S
they're using may not be supported by Microsoft in the future, and
then they'll be on their own (word on the street)... Our MIS guys
couldn't figure how to load Win95 Apps on it. I'm sure it can be
done, but at the least it's a pain in the butt... Baselining against
our SGI machines showed it slow on graphics intensive CAD apps...
Finally, we cracked open the box, and we all instantly declared it
to be a, well, let's just say engineers have a crude saying for
machines that look like a hodge-podge of cables, sagging boards,
mother boards attached to daughter boards, which were further attached
to in-law boards, cousins, etc.
In short...junk! Since DEC is the biggest user of the Alpha chip
(their semiconductor group makes it, after all), you'd think their
boxes would be the best out there.
p.s. a miniscule plastic hinge snapped when we opened the front
cover for the first time. Sorry about the flame, it just bugs me
that they're losing this game big time, and this just seems like
a wild shot at the buzzer, leaning into the defense, hoping the
referee calls a 3 shot foul. |
