From owner-freebsd-alpha Tue Jan 27 08:45:27 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.8/8.8.8) id IAA18279 for alpha-outgoing; Tue, 27 Jan 1998 08:45:27 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from owner-freebsd-alpha@FreeBSD.ORG) Received: from gateway.sequent.com (gateway.sequent.com [138.95.18.1]) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.8/8.8.8) with ESMTP id IAA18273 for ; Tue, 27 Jan 1998 08:45:26 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from seifert@sequent.com) Received: from eng4.sequent.com (eng4.sequent.com [138.95.7.64]) by gateway.sequent.com (8.8.5/8.6.9) with ESMTP id IAA12297 for ; Tue, 27 Jan 1998 08:44:48 -0800 (PST) Received: from localhost (seifert@localhost) by eng4.sequent.com (8.8.5/8.6.9) with SMTP id IAA28911 for ; Tue, 27 Jan 1998 08:44:47 -0800 (PST) Message-Id: <199801271644.IAA28911@eng4.sequent.com> X-Authentication-Warning: eng4.sequent.com: seifert@localhost didn't use HELO protocol To: freebsd-alpha@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: The future of Alpha Date: Tue, 27 Jan 98 08:44:47 PST From: David Seifert Sender: owner-freebsd-alpha@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk X-Loop: FreeBSD.org > I hate to be the one saying this, but now, given alpha's questionable > future, based on Compaq's and DEC's decision to kill any progress in favor > of elite Intel's chips, do people here still generally think there is > much point in continuing this port? Palmer appariently didn't care about Alpha, Pfeiffer may feel differently. Remember that Compaq doesn't like Intel. Remember that DEC and AMD have a deal where AMD will build a x86 chip that is pin compatable with the Alpha. Presumably Compaq could build compute engines that can be either x86 or Alpha merely by changing the CPU chip and flashing the firmware. Compaq is no longer just a wintel box maker. They bought Tandem and DEC to have a full range of offerings. I think Alpha's future is a lot brighter now than it was Friday. Dave