X-no-Archive:yes
Winning.

HP built a better mousetrap. I think there is some worry about what you do
after everyone has mousetraps (Marx worried about this). Once HP has sold a
3000, how else can they make money on it? Support? Training? Upgrades? Less
of these are needed for the 3000! It also doesn't help that none of us are
in any hurry to adopt the latest and greatest, because we see what already
works well, is tried and true. Of course, the trick is to market the 3000 to
those who like the latest and greatest, and anything shiny; how to sell the
sizzle?

Conversely, certain boxes get bad reps for being trouble, hard to work with,
hard to upgrade, and so on. And this is what MPE is not. I remember when GM
sold the Geos as getting 50 MPG. Someone else's car is being sold with an ad
that describes a trip, then how many times you will stop: n. How many times
you will stop for gas: 0. Sell its superiority.

High availability. Low maintenance.
It can run 24 x 365, without making your IT staff run 24 x 365.
HP 3000: 24 x 365
IT staff: 8 x 5
Minus holidays.

HP would not be doing "compatibility mode" on IA-64 had they not first done
so first on the RISC-based HP 3000s (I hope I got that right; that was
"before my time"). HP HAS benefited from their experience with the 3000.
There are more lessons to be learned.

Greg Stigers
http://www.cgiusa.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Bruce A. Randall [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, August 18, 2000 6:29 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: "WHAT IF"

<snip>
What is the benefit to HP of pushing the 3000?
Bruce Randall