[1212] in Release_7.7_team
Fwd: Re: Ultra-1 plans
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Bill Cattey)
Thu Jan 29 12:20:20 1998
Date: Thu, 29 Jan 1998 12:20:12 -0500 (EST)
From: Bill Cattey <wdc@MIT.EDU>
To: release-team@MIT.EDU, vkumar@MIT.EDU, kcr@MIT.EDU
Cc: bmurphy@MIT.EDU
At the release team meeting, we discussed the Ultra-1 product line, and
the possibility of it being tagged "End of Life" at Sun. (As shown by
it's conspicuous absense from the Web pages.) Here is what Dennis
replied to my queries:
Excerpts from message:
> Subject: I've got a couple problems with the new product line.
> Date: Wed, 28 Jan 1998 18:00:04 -0500 (EST)
> From: Bill Cattey <wdc@MIT.EDU>
> 1. The Ultra-1 line has become double-plus ungood?
> I can't find the Ultra-1's in the web pages describing the product line.
> This means that while I was taking delivery of a dozen Ultra-1-200
> machines for the purpose of certifying we can let people buy them and
> run Athena on them, the line went PFFFT!
> ...
> An Ultra-2 for twice as much money so that we can retain the Solaris
> Sbus SCSI driver software we finally trust after many years.
> ...
> An Ultra-5 which would require either a third party SCSI controller for
> server use
> ...
> Well, there's the Ultra-10 which would have support for a bonafide Sun
> 24 plane graphics adapter. Then we only have to worry about redoing our
> machine deployment for the tower form factor. It still has the SCSI
> problem for the server platform.
> ...
> I want that Pizza Box.
> I want that Sbus SCSI
> I want that Sun graphics card.
> for $5K or under.
Excerpts from message:
> Date: Thu, 29 Jan 1998 05:33:08 -0500 (EST)
> From: Dennis <Dennis.Aylward@East.Sun.COM>
> Hi Bill,
> Well, I spent some time talking with Leslie Woodin, the District
> Manager, about the Ultra 5, Sbus etc. and she indicated that she was not
> aware of any near term plans to EOL the Ultra 1 precisely for the
> reasons you mention. There is a large customer base out there with Sbus
> solutions. Moreover, there might be an incentive to deal aggressively
> on the Ultra 1 product. I suspect that the Ultra 1 will go away at some
> time in the not TOO distant future but just when I don't know. The form
> factor of the tower design has been mentioned by several customers. I
> suspect that this is more an issue with the UNIX community since the
> tower has been a mainstay of the PC world for some time. Although I
> don't know specifically I'd bet there must be more companies making
> locking modules for the tower than for pizza boxes given the sheer
> numbers of tower style systems. (If not, this could be a great
> opportunity for a business venture!) Having said that I also realize
> that MIT has an investment in the current security devices which must be
> considered. I hope the current problems/issues are just a "bump in the
> road" and that we can sort things out to keep our relationship a
> positive one and keep Sun and MIT on a sound footing. -Dennis
I'll ask dennis to come up with pricing scenarios with regards to the
Ultra 1's and the Ultra 5's then.
-wdc
