RE: HP Buys Compaq

[Jim Damato <jdamato@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>But I
>don't think Compaq has really had the hoped for success. I really think
that
>their history with this is a little foreshadowing of the HP/Compaq future.

We're in agreement that Compaq's purchase of DEC didn't fulfill its
potential.  As for HP, who knows?  I think it will be different.  Compaq was
a small technology player trying to get big.  HP's a big, mature entity
trying to fill gaps.  I'm not saying it will or won't go well -- I just
don't think we can necessarily use Compaq's history as a model.


>Wasn't that the concern of the
>Compaq/DEC purchase? That it gave Microsoft entry into enterprise serving.
>Well, if HP's plans are in this line, isn't this a much bigger threat?

I think that Microsoft's entry into enterprise serving was inevitable.  I
wouldn't be surprised if you're right that the Compaq/DEC and HP/Compaq
acquisitions will help the process.  Still, one way or another servers are
going to grow to meet NT and Win2K's potential.

Gee, if you feel that HP's acquisition of Compaq would cause them to stumble
do you think it could set back Microsoft's progress?

I don't think that Windows presence as an enterprise OS will be a bad thing
in the long run.  Microsoft's business practices irritate me, and I've been
annoyed that they've gotten by on potential and promises for so long.
(Folks I know would counter that with IBM's equally annoying business
practices and their inflexibility.)  I'd still rather work on the mature
integrated operating environment that Windows will eventually become than on
Unix or Linux.  The more I work with Unix the more I hate this thin OS
concept.  As someone bred on System 38's and AS/400's I hate having to
develop or buy things for Unix that I thought were supposed to be part of
the operating system, and I hate having to integrate dozens of
infrastructure solutions just to provide an operating environment and
database.

As far as HP and Compaq go, I'm excited for the moment.  I've done a lot of
business with both companies.  For better or worse I'm interested to see
where it will go.  This thread has helped me to imagine a lot of positive
and negative possibilities.

-Jim

James P. Damato
Manager - Technical Administration
Dollar General Corporation
<mailto:jdamato@dollargeneral.com>