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Re: Microsoft to Phase Out Windows NT Development for PowerP
Subject:Re: Microsoft to Phase Out Windows NT Development for PowerP From:Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- JCI -dot- COM Date:Wed, 12 Feb 1997 14:12:38 -0500
I was aware they were considering this (in light of IBM and Motorola's
actions, they had no choice but to consider it) but the last word I'd heard
from them was in the Information Week article I mentioned. Even so, as the
previously posted article noted, the ink on this isn't dry yet.
1) MS did very little NT development on its own for PPC. Motorola funded
the port and supplied a lot of talent for the effort.
2) Apple's plans haven't been declared, yet.
MS apparently felt, as both Motorola and IBM previously declared, that
demand for NT on PPC wasn't as high as they'd like. In fact, after Moto and
IBM dropped their bundling offers, demand for NT on PPC fell drastically
from its already low levels. IBM (re)turned to AIX for it's workstations,
while Motorola decided it could make more money shipping Mac clones and
Unix servers than NT boxes (the jury's out on IBM's wisdom, but Motorola
seems to have been right). When Motorola dropped out, it left MS holding a
large bag they weren't previously holding -- large NT development effort
for decreasing return. MS has apparently decided not to pick up the expense
of continuing what Motorola was paying for.
If, OTOH, Apple steps up willing to shoulder the burden Motorola was
carrying, I'd expect to see another MS turnaround in this statement.
Regardless of the small demand for NT on PPC, it's higher than the demand
for NT on Alpha (the only remaining non-Intel platform for NT, if this
decision is, in fact, final). But DEC is funding that one.
So far, it's just words on paper. (Check the future plans for production of
new systems, and you'll get an idea of how reliable predictions can be.) NT
*is* available for PPC-based systems. The product is still there (notice MS
didn't withdraw the product). The links to Motorola are still open, you'll
note. Perhaps this is just a ploy to get Apple to step up to the plate.
;{>}
BTW, I've been searching Motorola's web site for anything remotely
resembling a decision to stop production on the PowerPC. So far I've only
found announcements of new PowerPC chips. It seems to be quite slow today.
I wonder many of us are doing the same thing? ;{>}
Have fun,
Arlen
Chief Managing Director In Charge, Department of Redundancy Department
DNRC 224
Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- JCI -dot- Com
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