Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1a 12/4/83; site rlgvax.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!hou3c!hocda!houxm!houxz!vax135!floyd!cmcl2!seismo!rlgvax!guy
From: guy@rlgvax.UUCP (Guy Harris)
Newsgroups: net.micro,net.arch,net.followup
Subject: Re: What's in a 3b2?
Message-ID: <2007@rlgvax.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 9-Jun-84 04:58:49 EDT
Article-I.D.: rlgvax.2007
Posted: Sat Jun  9 04:58:49 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 10-Jun-84 01:08:20 EDT
References: ecsvax.2680 <2682@ecsvax.UUCP>
Organization: CCI Office Systems Group, Reston, VA
Lines: 31

> 1)	AT&T has a long way to go in learning how to market computers.  In a
> 	presentation to ~30 technical people, there were NO technical people
> 	on AT&T's team.  They apparently came to the meeting expecting to talk
> 	to vice-president types.

> 2)	Even with a full complement of utilities software, many utilities that
> 	we come to expect were missing.  For example, as far as we could tell,
> 	there was no pagination utility (e.g., more, page).  Of course, none
> 	of the AT&T staff really knew what utilities were included, and manuals
> 	were not available (man and the man pages also are not there).

> 3)	To an audience that was largely academic, they showed a lack of
> 	understanding of how universities operate.

None of this is really surprising, given where AT&T is coming from.  As
Al Capp, I believe, once said "You can change your government - but have
you ever tried to change your phone company?"  They can't rely on everybody
who wants a computer just assuming that you have to get it from the Phone
Company.  I suspect that there are a lot of habits learned in the Old Days
that have yet to be fully unlearned yet.

As for the people there not knowing about the details of their product, the
best story I heard in that regard was about somebody interested in
UNIX boxes who called up the local ATTIS office asking about the 3B.  Their
response was "What's a 3B?"  When he replied, "One of the new line of
computers you announced yesterday, and advertised in full page ads in several
newspapers," they said "Well, nobody told us about them."  I'm sure they'll
learn, but don't expect miracles overnight.

	Guy Harris
	{seismo,ihnp4,allegra}!rlgvax!guy