John Allain wrote:
The pattern was the same for DG, Digital, and SGI
once proprietary HW+OS, then specialized Intel compatible HW, then Nadda.
Could this happen to Sun? If not, why?
Depends how long they can hold out. The sort of "go for the cheapest
short-term option rather than a quality long-lasting product" seems systematic
of today's society and affects all aspects of life.
I don't think it's sustainable, though - cheaper, poorly-built products tend
to consume far too many resources in production. "Do all" products tend to not
do any one thing particularly well and are barely adequate at the tasks they
are supposed to cover. Eventually there'll be a shift back toward making and
buying the best product for the job rather than the cheapest; it's just a
question of whether Sun can hang in there that long.
Whether they can hang in there that long and continue to produce good products
is another matter entirely of course...
cheers
Jules