The discussion of an Open PC, a system that is not-necessarily-made-for-Windows but is instead "an architecture built for Linux," made clanging bells and hooting Klaxons go off in my head.
How many years out are we on the basic patents on the DEC VAX, DEC Alpha, DEC Clustering, and other DEC technologies? I'm pretty sure we're past the 20 years on basic patents on all of these, and more and better things I've not thought of. The patents are out on DEC Storage Arrays, for sure - and the technology is being used by others.
DEC had clustering working better 15 years ago than anyone else has even managed to come near to today, in my best estimation - even HP (or, that is, Compaq) who assimilated, or has tried to assimilate, the technology into HP-UX.
What is the feasibility of application and level of appropriateness to the non-Windows PC goal of the basic (now-expired) patents from this venerable company's portfolio? What wealth of old DEC Engineers are waiting out there to return to a project with ideals behind it? (Or are they too trapped by their pensions?)
The common tale going around in the computer industry for better than a decade has been that the close tie-ins between Compaq and Intel and Microsoft were the murderer of DEC. A turning of the tables may be just what is in order at this point in time.
But which chip company to turn to? Would relying on AMD for much of the fabrication on this and extension of the technologies give us another Intel? Someone please nominate additional candidates. Can we get a truly Open-Design-HW-Architecture paradigm up and going to live with Open Source Software's now-proven new paradigm?
Perhaps a success on such a venture could turn "maddog" into a "jollydog."
Keep nipping them where it hurts, Tux.
Mark Shuford
| LM |
We have no attorneys on staff, but as far as we understand it, when a company goes out of business, its assets (including intellectual property assets) don't just disappear but are sold to other companies. If you're interested in what happened to the assets of the Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), Wikipedia summarizes the buyers for some of the most important products: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Equipment_Corporation#Closing_DEC.27s_business
This summary includes the following entry: "In May 1997, DEC sued Intel for allegedly infringing on its Alpha patents in designing the Pentium chips. As part of a settlement, DEC's chip business was sold to Intel ... ."
You are right that some of these patents have probably expired (although others haven't). Designs for computer chips and other high-tech hardware products are often driven by the state of material and manufacturing technologies at the time of the design. The electronics industry has come a long way over the last 15 to 20 years. As innovative as these DEC products were for their time, it is possible that designers today might take a different approach.
Of course, patents often refer to concepts and interactions that are far more general than what one might call a design. In that case, your proposal might have possibilities if you can get the patent holders on board with the project.
We certainly agree that, after all the smoke is cleared from the legal and financial transactions, the most enduring legacy - and greatest asset - of DEC was the superb engineering team that gave rise to such an impressive collection of technologies. What do you say, DEC engineers?
Once more unto the breach ... ?
Ah! Ancient poetry in a Linux magazine - a glorious New Age arrives!
No doubt the substitution of the word "know" for the original "knew" in line 2 is a test of our ability as programmers and system admins to spot small errors in code ... . Code is poetry, isn't it?
Thanks again for the great magazine.
Steve Carter
| LM |
Yes, that is some good code spotting - and alert pattern recognition. Other readers might have noticed this glitch in our rendering of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "The Arrow and the Song" on page 4 of the December 2009 issue (Issue 109). Verse 1 erroneously stated "... I know not where" and Verse 2 correctly intoned "... I knew not where."
Our apologies to poetry lovers.