Re: disparities in hardware?

[Maurice Hilarius <maurice harddata com>]

With regards to your message at 05:52 PM 12-29-98 -0500, Ari Jort. Where
you stated:
>
>
>A general question from someone who does not know
>very much about hardware or about alphas:
>
>Why do there seem to be such great disparities 
>in software support among the various alpha platforms?
>Are there historical reasons?  Do similar issues
>exist for NT/Alpha?  How about other chips?
>
>It seems there are many more complications getting software
>for one particular alpha as opposed to another than for 
>the various intel chips and their clones; even chips made 
>by other companies.  All the varieties of Alphas are actually
>made by Digital, right?
>
>
>Thanks for any enlightenment,
I think it can be summed up most easily this way:
Many of the users on this list have Alpha machines made as long ago as 1993.
Some of the models were very proprietary Digital designs.
There are really 5 distinct Alpha chip main variants in use ( 6 if you
include the about-to-ship 21264).

So, the machines we discuss on this list vary _quite_ a bit!

It is about the same as if you had an Intel list with people using 286's,
PS/2 machines, Tandy computers, 386, 486, and modern machines. 


Best regards,

  Maurice W. Hilarius                   Telephone: 01-403-414-9319
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