On Tue, 20 Dec 2005 12:07:36 -0800, Duane Percox <[log in to unmask]> 
wrote:  


> So, HP announces they are extending support
> to 12/31/2008 and the resounding chorus is
> one of silence.
> 
> Are people busy Christmas shopping, off of work
> not getting this info, or just not willing to
> post unless they can complain?

No, but the implications of this announcement are not exactly self-
evident nor do they necessarily represent a meaningful alteration of 
HPq's apparent desire to kill MPE/iX rather than compete with it.
Consider that many (possibly most?) smaller firms have already ceased 
HP support and that many (possibly even more?) are well along in 
transitioning to alternative platform having nothing to do with HP.  
The latter firms have no interest in HPq's support extension and the 
former are more interested in HPq releasing MPEiX to third parties 
for support and enhancement.

In this light, consider the likelihood that this delay in opening the 
source of MPE/iX increases rather than decreases uncertainty in the 
former group over whether this event will ever happen. The delay also 
means that if it ever does happen then it may be far too late to make 
any significant difference to the few that hang in until the end.

Extending the period of support simply shows that HPq sees a 
potential revenue stream that postdates their original marketing 
imposed target date and that they reasonably wish to reserve this for 
themselves insofar as possible.  Nothing particularly noteworthy 
there.  They did much the same with MPE V-(R) when the target date 
for Classic HP3000 support termination came due.  In fact, given past 
experience, it would be remarkable if this extension did not form a 
provisional part of the original termination strategy; impose a 
deadline to engender a sense of urgency and then, when all those that 
could be motivated in such fashion had acted, relax the target date 
to sweep up the remaining crumbs if the anticipated net revenue 
warranted.

There is nothing to complain about nor much to find satisfaction with 
this announcement.  It can hardly be considered as anything more than 
a company milking a cash cow until the carcass arrives at the 
knackers.

Regards,
Jim

-- 

***     e-mail is NOT a secure channel     ***
James B. Byrne                mailto:ByrneJB.<token>@Harte-Lyne.ca
Harte & Lyne Limited          http://www.harte-lyne.ca
9 Brockley Drive              vox: +1 905 561 1241
Hamilton, Ontario             fax: +1 905 561 0757
Canada  L8E 3CE               delivery <token> = hal

* To join/leave the list, search archives, change list settings, *
* etc., please visit http://raven.utc.edu/archives/hp3000-l.html *