RFS, SYMBOLICS LM's, VAXEN

[Mark Weiser]

In article <142 at stracs.cs.strath.ac.uk> jim at cs.strath.ac.uk (Jim Reid) writes:
>In article <1017 at inset.UUCP> bill at inset.UUCP (Bill Fraser-Campbell) writes:
>>As regards SUN competitors, several of those already have the source and
>>several have completed ports (Gould, DEC, DG, Alliant, Celerity, Pyramid).
>>SUN have decided that it is better to promote NFS than not.  There is a
>>user group for implementors.
>
>The competitors I had in mind were companies like Silicon Graphics, Masscomp
>and perhaps Whitechapel. The big boys you mention have NFS, but they're not
>really competing with SUN in the workstation market; rather, they're mainly
>selling boxes for you to hang your SUN workstation off. To clarify my earlier
>statement, it wouldn't make commercial sense for SUN to make NFS available
>to companies that already make workstations that are either cheaper or faster
>than the SUN equivalent. Why help your rivals improve their product with
>something you have invested money and effort developing?
>
>		Jim


Does DEC count?  DEC has bought the NFS commercial license from Sun,
and will be offering NFS on VaxStations.  VaxStations are, or will be,
Sun's biggest competitor.  Let's face it, in this case Sun did something 
with other than an immediate profit motive.  In the long run, I think
this will generate good will, loyalty, publicity, (and so) sales for Sun.
-mark
-- 
Spoken: Mark Weiser 	ARPA:	mark at maryland	Phone: +1-301-454-7817
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