Sun Announces Sun-3 Software Support End-of-Life

[Randolf E. Klatt]

I am currently also experiencing a similar twinge of worry and I'm not
sure I'm alone on this. Our company sells large turnkey computer complexes
among which we include some Suns. The jobs currently going to the field
have 3/260s, which were Sun's "screamers" when the contracts were signed.

I am in charge of software/warranty support for some of these systems and
am thus well aware of the "future" of CD-ROM. I asked my sales person to
quote me CD drives for 3/260s so that I can support 4.1 and beyond.

The "answer" from Sun is that they would be happy to get me CD drives but
that I would have to install an external SCSI board in the 3/260 and that
the drivers etc. would have to be tried to see if it would work. I'm
assuming that this is the official line since it took several days to get
this response, whereas usually we get good turnaround.

Can somebody comment on a) the apparent lack of planning with respect to
the 3-series machines (of which there must be quite a few still around)
and b) the arm-twisting being done to Sun-3 users while Sun-4 users get
discounts/incentives (I very much doubt Sun will offer "special" prices on
SCSI boards on Sun-3s...)

BTW, our 4.1 release tapes? still haven't arrived, despite agreements etc.
with Sun. So we're still yelling.

Randolf Klatt
Westinghouse Electric
ittc!rklatt at uunet.uu.net