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??)


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!)

Anyway, the full story (yes, there's more) is at

   http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-2241414.html

--Glenn (obviously not speaking for HP!)