The Sun is not setting!

[John Neubert]

In vol 8: issue 135, Chuck Williams writes of "The Sun is Setting!" He
relates *rumors* that Sun is attempting to sell off the 386i line *and*
the Sun3 line *and* any "non-SPARC Sun4 machine".  Now, firstly the
operative word is "rumors".  Yes, I've heard the one about the 386i (and
"sub"rumors that the Cambridge crowd got too independent (with the
interface, etc) and that the 386i sold like bags of ice in the artic --
but, then, I've also heard that the 386i was selling like the proverbial
"hotcakes" -- aren't rumors wonderful; they're just like Unix standards,
there're so many of them, one's bound to find one he/she likes). I've also
heard of "bad blood" between Moto and Sun since Sun wouldn't wait for the
88K -- Moto was so miffed that they didn't invite Sun to some
Moto-sponsored big bash of 68xxx developers.  (Then again, business makes
for strange bedfellows -- two companies can publicly go at each others
throats and still wheel and deal together; look at the Apple-Microsoft law
suit vs the font/pdl deal.) *BUT*, just what is meant by "non-SPARC" Sun4s
in the note?  As far as I know *all* 4s are Sparc-based.

Remember, rumors are just that... and it ain't over 'til (blah)(blah).

Anyway, I would actually like to see Sun concentrate on just SPARC and
producing a wide line of products using that technology -- coprocessors
(hard and soft) could get the rest.

As for lead times, I haven't heard anything remotely close to 240 days!
But long lead times (up to 90 days, or more) are what happens when you
come out with a great product (*and* have an internal snafu at the same
time).  Heck, I waited as long when I got my Osborne I and my Honda car!
;-)

I wrote the above just before I saw the note from Gregory Miller (8:143)
responding to Chuck's note.  In Gregory's article he only refutes the 386i
rumor  and only references the EE-Times article.  EE-Times prides itself
on being early with stories in the electronics industry.  Unfortunately,
this same *rumor* has surfaced in a number of other publications and in
personal conversations.  I realize there's that thing called "pack
journalism" (and that many journalists use each other as "sources" --
isn't incest wonderful!), but sometimes "where there's smoke, there's
fire".  I still see a concentration on SPARC as Sun's best strategic plan.

P.S.  Anyone know anything about *rumored* multi-processor work (ala
Solbourne) at Sun; or a rumored multi-i860 board for Suns?  Not rumored
(at least I haven't seen *this* one, but we could always start it!) is any
work on an actual parallel architecture machine at Sun.  Anyone heard of
such a high-end project -- or even an advanced NCS-type network
application?  Heck, it seems Sun, and most of the workstation/computer
vendors looked at the Transputer and dismissed it (too small and unstable
a source and one that the British would not allow to be lost -- some US
companies did actually try!).  Now, it looks like the other microprocessor
vendors are either trying to emulate the commun- ication features of the
T-800  (ala Moto's 88K) or the systems manufacturers are taking another
look at the Transputer -- perhaps also because of the rumored (there's
that word again) H1 follow-on that will not only have greater performance
that the SPARC architecture by 1991 (1991's SPARC architecture!) but
increased interprocessor communication connections than even the current
Transputer.  Ah, isn't the rumor mill wonderful.  Or, maybe the *rumored*
'040 NeXT with four 88Ks is even more interesting?!