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VA Research Gets New Investors
fremen writes "Yahoo has an article about VA Research starting a new round of fund raising. It mentions that it has gained funding from SGI among other companies. "
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IRIX isn't dying. Linux easily has a ways to go before it appoaches the functionality of IRIX.
Besides, what is up with everyone expecting that Linux must match every UNIX available? Why can't each be suited to a particular task and let it go at that?
I can only image how bored I'd get with SGIs if SGI spent all its time trying to make IRIX run more like Solaris...
It's not "financing", it's called "Not putting all your eggs in the same basket".
Rather they should bill the event as a PR stunt for the respective companies.... which is what it was... like it or not.
Actually, my table was fine, except for the fact that I & other people RSVP'd early, showed up early.. and still were not allowed to sit at tables under 6... something that is distinctly not a LUG-type activity.
Note, this is just a precursor of travesties of abuse to come.
If I knew the name of the corporation, I'd sell their stock. If you hack up a bunch of Indys, you're throwing away about $ 600 a unit, which is pretty dumb. Do a search for Indy on eBay and see for yourself.
(I have a used R4400 Indigo2 which I love).
D
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VA hosts Debian.org, Themes.org, Mesa3D.org, GNU.org, FSF.org, SVLUG.org, and Mail-Archive.com to name but a paltry few. You figure out the other Open Source sites VA hosts; there are quite a few of them. You go find my prior post on how VA essentially donates an entire T3 to Open Source projects.
I believe you owe VA an apology.
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hmmm... i wonder if someday sgi will buy va, that would be an interesting occurance....
Hm... I think that sgi should attempt posting a couple of quarters in the black before it starts spending it's capital in untested ventures...
of each paycheck donating to Debian. No one says VA Linux Systems (They changed their names, Rob) HAS to give money to the distros. I'm sure Debian is just happy with what they got, why can't you be?
cypherpunks
FWIW, VA has kicked a** helping us spec out a major project recently -- they had a custom-configured eval unit in our hands in less time than it took Dell to answer some basic questions about theirs. They get it, bigtime.
Maybe they're putting some money into Linux because of its future possible use on their upcoming Intel based servers ... you never know!
I think SGI's strategy, in the long run, will
make it the next HP. The decision to go Intel
seems evidence of an eventual nasty end..
For every problem, there is at least one solution that is simple, neat, and wrong.
Cool... they changed their name. Anyone know when this happend? I guess adding the keyword "Linux" into their name should help.
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Yahoo says they have changed their name to VA Linux Systems. When did this happen? The fact that slashdot got their name wrong shows that the change wasn't announced too loudly!
Posted by Assmodeus:
gee i wish sgi would fund me with an Octane...
assmodeus
Wow.. they must be really struggling to contain costs. With *only* $25M, they donated a whopping $7k to debian at the balug event. That's easily 1/3,000 of this single round of add-on financing. How generous.. *garf*
... see... see... wait.. press comes in first.. here.. take our pictures.. and our t-shirts."
$ for $, I think VAResearch and Linuxcare's "fund raising" event at balug was the best marketing money they've ever spent.
I guess I'm just tired of seeing predominantly PR out of some of these linux companies. "We're donating to linux developers.. see
In my *personal* *opinion*, it was nothing more than a publicity stunt/elbow rubbing session for the corporate linux people.. ie, "Please don't sit in table #6 and below.. those are for the press and to facilitate us to get ourselves quoted and referenced in more news articles." - Not a real quote, a paraphrase.
*puke*... think I'm gonna go back to slack..
btw: why don't these guys IPO?? So other people can get a share... I'm guessing they want to placate other companies in the silicon valley so they're not thought of as a threat and summarily trounced upon.. but I'm not sure..
Hey, this same idiotic junk was posted on /. before: I think the last time was wrt to another UNIX hardware vendor, Sun, I think. Anyway, you are pretty dumb, aren't ya?
Your sound like the same dumb troll that claimed he has a PhD in Econ. You are a pretty dumb fella, aren't ya?
Irix is dying, Linux is moving in.
Besides how to use one obviously. Idiots.
The Linux hardware vendors are some of the best corporate citizens I've seen in any industry. They wholeheartedly support the Linux community, because they realise that without it they wouldn't exist in the first place. I like the fact that Penguin Computing is providing servers for sites such as Linux Online, 32 Bits Online, and LinuxToday. Then you've got VA Linux Systems taking the time to ensure Linux.com doesn't get run over by corporate interests, but instead makes it a community interest site. Not to mention hosting Debian, GNU, and Themes.org. You've got to hand it to the Linux Store for pushing the envelope for low-cost systems.
The Linux hardware vendors have shown a dedication to the community and customers that is rarely seen in this generally cruel marketplace. I sincerely hope they keep it up.
--Jean-Paul Alderac
It's good to see companies like this growing, as it's people like us which need there cool stuff!
AYE THAT I BE!
VA Research changed its name to VA Linux Systems at the same time as their acquisition of Linux Hardware Solutions. Go back in the press releases - you'll find it there.
Chris DiBona
VA Linux Systems
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Grant Chair, Linux Int.
VP, SVLUG
Co-Editor, Open Sources
Open Source Program Manager, Google, Inc.
VA moved to a 4x larger building in Sunnyvale which was being vacated by Boca Research. It's next to the Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space site, where there will obviously be lots more big buildings to occupy as Lockheed shrinks. ;-)
They both make high-end ia32 computers running Linux. Why would SGI finance a competitor?
My point was, that it was *not* a donation. It was a publicity stunt. I don't care how much they donate.. they made a media circus about it to raise their profile.
FYI, it's VA's prerogative to donate or NOT donate any amount, no matter how loarge or small, to anything their owners and managers deem appropriate.
Hell, even if Red Hat, VA, Linux care and all the other Linux vendors never spent another *dime* on development, the Linux community still benefits from their mere *existence*.
Because of vendors like VA, I can tell my boss/customer/whatever "let's go buy a Linux host, and I'll have it up and running in production in a day", rather than: "Would you please budget a week of my time for me to go d/l Linux, build a box to run it on, etc, etc."
Christ, bitching at anyone who makes a contribution just because you don't think their contribution was big enough, or their motives pure enough, is the kind of stupid childish shit that made the whole open source movement look like a pack of flakes for *YEARS*.
-jcr
The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
I'd like to see some linux companies issue corporate bonds. That'd allow money to be raised without any loss of control.