Nuke Redmond! - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

6 Apr 2000

Richard,

This must have been said a lot of times, but I say it anyway. I have been
putting computers into factories and when you took a DEC PDP-11 you did not
have to worry so much about next months software. About drivers you would
have to write all over again. About being able to service a 5, 10, 15 year
old or even older application, even in far away countries. Yes, you paid,
but what about the cost of installing a new system every 3 or 4 years
because hardware is no longer supported with the new release or the new
version, or the hardware was phased out after months and spares no longer
exist.
This new hardware is ageing so fast that the Salvation Army is collecting
it by the time you paid for it. It is marvelous for a lot of people, but
keep it out of the factories.

Wim
----------
...
  From: Richard Erlacher &lt;edick(a)idcomm.com&gt;
 To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org
 Subject: !Re: Nuke Redmond!
 Date: Wednesday, April 05, 2000 9:20 PM

 I really can't understand what all the hostility toward Microsoft is about.
...
  If it weren't for the low prices resulting from
the economy of scale, scale
...
  which is enabled by the fact that Microsoft made
computers simple enough to
...
  use that the masses could and would use them.

 If you want to dog somebody, the go after DEC, (God be thanked that they're
...
  gone!) with their antiquated technology always a
generation behind everyone
...
  else and with their ridiculous prices.

 If DEC had had their way you'd have to use a single flip=flop pair for which
...
  they charged you 10^15 bucks per year and which broke
twice a month so some
...
  under-trained ignoramus could come around and pretend
to fix the thing.
 Then, if you had the unmitigated audacity to try to use some other vendor's
...
  hardware or software, they'd raise hell and point
down the wire if their
 stuff didn't behave as claimed.

 The only point I've seen in this thread that makes any sense at all is the
...
  one about Visual Basic.  If your really want that 6-7
figure income, you'll
...
  learn it.  I know at least half a dozen fellows who
have taken that up.

 Forget about the C++ or C or Delphi!  These guys took 6 weeks to learn the
...
  VB and now most of them have paid off their houses,
cards, and credit cards
...
  and vacation in Arruba in the winter and Alaska in the
summer. at least
 twice.   The oldest of the guys I know doing this is 35 and worth over $10^7
...
  net.  Five years ago, he was begging me for work.  How
many guys do you know
...
  who have net savings of over a year's gross after
only five years?  That
 certainly indicates VB is not just a joke.

 Dick

 ----- Original Message -----
 From: &lt;healyzh(a)aracnet.com&gt;
 To: &lt;classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org&gt;
 Sent: Wednesday, April 05, 2000 9:37 PM
 Subject: Re: Nuke Redmond!

 > Huw Davies wrote:
 > > I was at the Programming sectin of the local Computer Book store last
 > > week, only to discover that "Programming" == Visual Basic, C on
Windows
...
  > > and that's about it.
 >
 > Don't you know, being able to write in Visual Basic is what all computer
...
  > professionals aspire to!  Rumor has it Windows
2000 was written in Visual
...
   Basic.

 > I wonder what I learnt at Uni should be called? I used to program in  Algol
  > (60 and 68), Pascal, BCPL, Simula-67 and
BLISS-10... At least one of  them
 > > is still current!
 >
 > OK, I give up.  Which one?  I'm not aware of Microsoft having any Windows
...
  > software by those names, therefore they don't
exist, and never did!
 >
 > Zane
 >
 > PS let me just say for the benefit of anyone new here, I'm joking folks!
...