Excellent analysis. There are one or two additional aspects that might bear mention, though.
Digital may have some patents or other intellectual property that Compaq can use, either in the Compaq or Tandem lines.
I believe Digital also has some "special" ties to Microsoft, as a result of the NT-on-Alpha connection (which is, I think, the only remaining non-Intel NT). Those might also be useful to CPQ.
But the bottom line is, I think, that Compaq mostly wanted the service people/organization, and (as you point out) the customer base.
I think the confusion this will create will afford Sun an opportunity to pick up both customers and manpower.
I, too, hate to see DEC go. One of the first machines I ever used was a PDP-8, and I've got my old PDP-11 sitting next to me even as I type this.
JMHO, of course. |
