The major reason Compaq is saying "last call" on new VAX systems is that it can't build them anymore. Back when Bob Palmer sold off DIGITAL's semiconductor FAB in Hudson, MA, to Intel, a "final" production run of VAX processor chips was done. The prediction was that they had enough to fulfill all conceivable demand for the future. How wrong they were...
Customers snapped up new VAX systems very quickly, especially the higher-end models. What they were left with was the VAX 4000 series, but now, the chips for those have run out too, so it's time to pull the plug.
VAX systems are still widely used within "the company formerly known as DEC" - our compiler development group uses a VAXcluster as its central server (of course, we have many Alpha systems as well.) Myself, I'm the entire "VAX Fortran project", though there hasn't been much to do there in the past few years.
I know that VAX systems are still popular with customers too - many of them don't need the added performance of Alpha and find that VAX "just works" for them. Of course, OpenVMS continues to support VAX systems with new releases.
I take it you are referring to Linux only - as our compilers for Tru64 UNIX and OpenVMS are VERY highly optimized for the latest generation of Alpha processors. With the introduction of Compaq Fortran, C and C++ for Linux Alpha, that has changed too - many users find applications speed up a lot using our compilers (especially Fortran). gcc for Alpha is really quite good, as it is, though.
Steve Lionel
Re:Multiprocessor Athlon Motherboards?
on
New Mega Alphas
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· Score: 1
No - The Athlon "Slot A" bus is based on the Alpha EV6 bus, but the CPUs are not electrically nor physically compatible.
Another common mistake is confusing Digital Equipment and Digital Research, as an AP story on "Microsoft at 25", published in the Nashua Telegraph, did a couple of weeks ago.
Anyway, I've been privileged to know and work with maddog for many years at DEC/Compaq and it was nice to read the story about him.
Steve Lionel
Re:Terry Pratchett rules.
on
The Truth
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· Score: 1
"Good Omens" isn't a Discworld book at all. But Discworld fans will almost certainly enjoy it as well - it's one of my all-time favorites.
Some of the Discworld books do read a lot like copies of older ones ("Carpe Jugulum" is "Lords and Ladies" with vampires instead of elves), but Pratchett manages to be consistently readable and entertaining long past when lesser authors have just programmed macros into their word processors (Piers Anthony, for example).
I like ALL the story arcs, including those with the witches. But some books are certainly stronger than others.
Please note - I am entering this as a personal comment, unrelated to my employment.
My favorite web site for looking up stories to see if they are Urban Legends is that of the San Fernando Valley Folklore Society Very well researched and documented, plus well written. I could do without the cutsie effects on the home page, however. I frequently refer people there, for example, after having received yet another copy of the "Bill Gates is giving away $1000 just for forwarding e-mail" hoax.
The so-called "official Darwin Awards" site and its mailings don't seem to me to be in the spirit of the original Darwin Awards which, as others have noted, always referred to people who died for their stupidity. Nowadays, there's a mixture of Urban Legends and real stories, most of which do not involve an individual's removal from the gene pool.
I am confused by the comments here about the license. Here is what we intended...
The "Technology Enthusiast" license is free for non-commercial and personal and classroom educational use. It allows you to develop software for and distribute to others, as long as you aren't "paid" for it.
If you want to use the compiler for paid work, or for use by a "business" (even an educational institution), then buy the commerical license (which is by far the least expensive Fortran license we offer!) We did a survey of beta users asking how much they would expect to pay for a commercial license - I was astonished to see many listing figures well over $1000! Initially we had been thinking $499, but we knocked that down to $399.
I agree that the wording of the license terms at present is a bit confusing. I have some new wording which will be put up on the site soon.
Our compilers do not use gas - they compile directly to ELF object code. They do work with gdb, but for Fortran in particular, you'd be happier with ladebug.
There's nothing preventing us from releasing a compiler on Linux Intel, other than finding the time and resources to do so. However, the motivation for doing the Alpha compiler was to promote Alpha hardware sales, so that's what we did. An Intel compiler would have an entirely different business case to be made for it. (Yes, Compaq sells Intel boxes too, but that side of the company doesn't seem interested in Fortran.)
Our Intel Windows compiler (Compaq Visual Fortran) is very popular, and we do get frequent requests for an Intel Linux version. There are no current plans to do that, but then again, a year ago there were no plans to do Linux at all. So, "never say never"...
If you feel that we should do an Intel compiler, and would be willing to pay for it, let us know. (Feel free to send me mail with your comments.)
Slashdot Mirror
Customers snapped up new VAX systems very quickly, especially the higher-end models. What they were left with was the VAX 4000 series, but now, the chips for those have run out too, so it's time to pull the plug.
VAX systems are still widely used within "the company formerly known as DEC" - our compiler development group uses a VAXcluster as its central server (of course, we have many Alpha systems as well.) Myself, I'm the entire "VAX Fortran project", though there hasn't been much to do there in the past few years.
I know that VAX systems are still popular with customers too - many of them don't need the added performance of Alpha and find that VAX "just works" for them. Of course, OpenVMS continues to support VAX systems with new releases.
Steve Lionel
I take it you are referring to Linux only - as our compilers for Tru64 UNIX and OpenVMS are VERY highly optimized for the latest generation of Alpha processors. With the introduction of Compaq Fortran, C and C++ for Linux Alpha, that has changed too - many users find applications speed up a lot using our compilers (especially Fortran). gcc for Alpha is really quite good, as it is, though.
Steve Lionel
Steve Lionel
Um, that's Olsen - a common mistake.
Another common mistake is confusing Digital Equipment and Digital Research, as an AP story on "Microsoft at 25", published in the Nashua Telegraph, did a couple of weeks ago.
Anyway, I've been privileged to know and work with maddog for many years at DEC/Compaq and it was nice to read the story about him.
Steve Lionel
Some of the Discworld books do read a lot like copies of older ones ("Carpe Jugulum" is "Lords and Ladies" with vampires instead of elves), but Pratchett manages to be consistently readable and entertaining long past when lesser authors have just programmed macros into their word processors (Piers Anthony, for example).
I like ALL the story arcs, including those with the witches. But some books are certainly stronger than others.
Steve (speaking for myself, not Compaq)
Steve Lionel
My favorite web site for looking up stories to see if they are Urban Legends is that of the San Fernando Valley Folklore Society Very well researched and documented, plus well written. I could do without the cutsie effects on the home page, however. I frequently refer people there, for example, after having received yet another copy of the "Bill Gates is giving away $1000 just for forwarding e-mail" hoax.
The so-called "official Darwin Awards" site and its mailings don't seem to me to be in the spirit of the original Darwin Awards which, as others have noted, always referred to people who died for their stupidity. Nowadays, there's a mixture of Urban Legends and real stories, most of which do not involve an individual's removal from the gene pool.
Steve Lionel
The "Technology Enthusiast" license is free for non-commercial and personal and classroom educational use. It allows you to develop software for and distribute to others, as long as you aren't "paid" for it.
If you want to use the compiler for paid work, or for use by a "business" (even an educational institution), then buy the commerical license (which is by far the least expensive Fortran license we offer!) We did a survey of beta users asking how much they would expect to pay for a commercial license - I was astonished to see many listing figures well over $1000! Initially we had been thinking $499, but we knocked that down to $399.
I agree that the wording of the license terms at present is a bit confusing. I have some new wording which will be put up on the site soon.
Steve Lionel
Steve Lionel
Our Intel Windows compiler (Compaq Visual Fortran) is very popular, and we do get frequent requests for an Intel Linux version. There are no current plans to do that, but then again, a year ago there were no plans to do Linux at all. So, "never say never"...
If you feel that we should do an Intel compiler, and would be willing to pay for it, let us know. (Feel free to send me mail with your comments.)
Steve Lionel
Steve Lionel