On Tue, 11 Jul 2000 16:59:35 -0500 (Central Daylight Time),
"COLE,GLENN (Non-HP-SantaClara,ex2)" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>c|net's NEWS.COM has an interesting article based on recent press
>meeting with a couple executives from HP.
>
>I would almost have to call it a "must read."
>
>Some clips:
>
>   "Do we believe the technology is going to fly?" Zitzner asked
>   at a meeting with reporters yesterday. "The feeling was it would."
>
>(Not exactly gushing with excitement.)
>
>
>   Dirk Down, head of marketing for HP's IA-64 systems, said early
>   IA-64 computers are "a development environment. You're not going
>   to put this stuff near your data center for several years."
>
>(While not exactly news, it confirms previous expectations.)
>
>
>   HP has funded its PA-RISC chips for two more years and three more
>   generations past the current 8600 model. But after the 8900, that's
>   it, Zitzner said.
>   ...
>   [Further, he expects PA-RISC machines to outsell IA-64 until 2005.]
>
>(Hopefuly, though, this funding limit is not set in stone.)
>
>
>   Despite having helped invent IA-64, HP gets no special breaks from
>   Intel in buying the chip, Zitzner said. HP pays the same price as
>   its competitors and receives no royalties, he said.
>
>(I was unhappy in the beginning that HP made the deal with Intel
>at all, but this takes the cake.  First, the architecture is way
>late because of Intel, and now it turns out that HP not only has
>to pay the same as everyone else, but HP doesn't even get royalties??)

I'm shocked as well. Apparently HP thinks that their superior
knowledge of the EPIC concept is going to give them a big enough
competitive advantage that they don't need hard cash also.

I wonder if this is a decision Carly wishes she had gotten to make. :)

>Of particular note to hp3000-L (if only in the "wishful thinking"
>department) is mention of "Superdome:"
>
>   The next PA-RISC system due out is "Superdome," scheduled to arrive
>   in November or December, Zitzner said. Superdome will be able to
>   accommodate as many as 64 processors and by combining four such
>   systems can in effect act as a system with 256 processors, he said.
>
>What?  An e3000 (or four) as supercomputer?! ;)  The next release of
>PowerHouse must be just around the corner.  (KIDDING!)

Wishful thinking is right. I wouldn't put any hopes in seeing a
"Superdome" e3000 ... possibly ever. For one, we have yet to even see
the N-class based e3000, and that system's been out for over a year on
the UNIX side. Second, HP's response to "when are we going to see
technology XXX on the MPE side" has always been "when the customer
says they need it". While having a supercomputer-class e3000 is fun to
think about ... how many could actually afford to BUY a 32-way PA-8700
system? (And who could afford the COGNOS licensing fees?).