Re: Intel neuters Montvale, Itanic screams in alarm

From: Dave Froble (davef_at_tsoft-inc.com)
Date: 06/12/05 

Date: Sun, 12 Jun 2005 10:36:35 -0400

Larry Kilgallen wrote:
> In article <uWUqe.2662$yU.6539@news20.bellglobal.com>, "Neil Rieck" <n.rieck@sympatico.ca> writes:
>
>
>>There were many compelling reasons for switching from VAX to Alpha and yet
>>many balked at that idea (and still do; my employer probably has one VAX
>>for every Alpha).
>
>
> I don't see that as balking. The fact that a vendor switches to making
> a different machine is no reason to discard existing machines.
>
> 23 years ago I was consulting at a shop with several 780s. The
> beancounters came around and said it was time to sell the oldest
> one, since it had reached the end of its depreciation. They were
> paying no attention at all to whether the machine was doing useful
> work for the company. Thankfully, they lost that battle.

It would depend upon whether the beancounters were willing to come up
with the money to purchase a replacement. That way the users could get
a faster replacement, and the beancounters would have another asset to
depreciate. In later years it was a very good thing to replace an aging
VAX 6000 series machine with a faster and cheaper system. The savings
on maintenance alone, using the 3-year warranty, often paid for the new
system. The increases in performance were basically a free bonus. 

-- 
David Froble                       Tel: 724-529-0450
Dave Froble Enterprises, Inc.      Fax: 724-529-0596
DFE Ultralights, Inc.              E-Mail: davef@tsoft-inc.com
170 Grimplin Road
Vanderbilt, PA  15486

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