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