On Wednesday, May 07, 1997 6:36 PM, Stan Sieler wrote:
> Larry writes:
> ..
> > but I believe the paraphrased version is, "Please call me (Cathy) if
you
> > have a need for this small machine and the current price for the
smallest
> > 3k is an issue to you."  Now, I don't know if this was only addressing
the
> > purchase and not the support, but I'm sure Cathy knows.
>
> This response comes up from HP every time the small (or portable or
laptop)
> 3000 is discussed ... and *each time* the users (aka "customers") in the
room
> say: no, that's not an acceptable solution.  One of the reasons given
often
> in the past is that the "ask Cathy" solution *ISN'T* in the price list
...
> and that's where a low-cost single user 3000 solution must be if we want
to
> attract new development.  Additionally, the "ask Cathy" basically means:
> maybe we can get you a good price on a 9x7 (or something) ... a box which
is
> not portable (well, unless you borrow Charles Finley's hacksaw :).
> And, as we've been pointing out for years: even if the box is free, the
> support cost is prohibitively high for a single user machine!

Yes, I know.  However, as with Charles' experiment, the "ask Cathy" is the
first step in attempting to estimate demand.  And as with Charles, I
believe there has only been one individual/company contact Cathy (I don't
know the outcome).  There is no doubt some small demand for the workstation
size 3k, however it doesn't appear to be more than just a few (<50).  As
you know, making the required changes for 50 sales isn't a good way for any
company to invest, when they have tens-of-thousands of customers.  Even
just putting it on the CPL cost money and resources for CSY.

> In the last couple of years, users have been pointing out to HP that
they'd
> save money *and* prolong the life of the 3000 by putting it on 700 series
> hardware:  the effort of doing this means that they'll have adapted HP-UX
> I/O drivers to MPE ... which means cheaper ports of MPE to future PA-RISC
> platforms (and to *more* future PA-RISC platforms).

I'd be thrilled to have a 700 style workstation 3k.  I like the idea, and
Stan's suggested change would help port it.  However, see my previous
paragraph.

Both Denys and Stan responded to my "work arounds" (as I refer to them)
that are available today.  However, I have not seen a response to the last
part of my post about CSY allowing a 3rd party to do it.  As recalled in an
earlier message, Rob Anderson from the Dallas area built a MPE/V OS on a
DOS machine and it was very promising.  However, there appeared to be some
copyright issues that halted the project.  Nick Demos, et. al., has built a
DOS based product that can do several things, including IMAGE, with a
different response from CSY.  Unfortunately, Rob was too early.  There may
be another 3rd party, or Nick may be interested in furthering his product,
who could produce this machine.  As I understand it, the two portable HP-UX
machines shown at HPWorld are from 3rd parties -- Is this correct?  If so,
this might be further evidence that HP has changed from when Rob was
developing his product.

--
Larry Boyd ([log in to unmask])
Hewlett-Packard
These are my opinions and not necessarily those of HP