Conference rocks::uk_digital

        I just spotted the ALTA VISTA airship, passing over the CSC. 
        
        I.

;   <<< Note 821.331 by TGRAPH::WEGG "Some hard boiled eggs and some nuts." >>>
;                  -< A rare sighting of Digital advertising >-
;
;        I just spotted the ALTA VISTA airship, passing over the CSC. 
;        
;        I.


Is it true that if you want the airship to gain height , you dump software
overboard?

K.R. 

    If we had a submarine, we could advertise Polycentre Console Manager.
    
    Rich.

    I saw the AltaVista Blimp too, nearly caused me to swerve across 3
    lanes of traffic. :-)
    
    No sign of a |d|i|g|i|t|a|l| logo unfortunatly, still better then nothing.
    
    Chris

    Why would you expect to see a digital logo on an AltaVista airship ?  I
    beleve Digital only own the search software.  AltaVista are a separate
    company now, so I'd guess the airship was advertising the company
    rather than a bit of software ?
    
    /tmp

    Trevor,
    
    Do you have any pointers to this information.  I do remember something
    along those line but didn't pay too much attention.
    
    Thanks,
    
    Chris

    How about their Web page  www.altavista.com which says "AltaVista
    Technology, Inc. is not affiliated with Digital Equipment Corporation,
    AltaVista Internet Software, Inc. or the AltaVista Internet
    Search Service."
    
    Confusing isn't it.
    
    /tmp

    re .337
    
    Altavista Technology Inc, is NOT part of Digital, nor is it part of the
    Altavista  internet technologies that Digital has a share in.
    

    
    However, the Altavista airship isn't anythinmg to do with Altavista
    Technology Inc. either. It is in fact, a Digital/Altavista airship (or at
    least one which digital/altavista have paid money to advertise on). It
    appeared at various sporting and promo. events in the US late last
    year and the schedule did list UK and mainland Europe venues for spring
    1997, so I guess this is it. Folks who saw it in the US said the
    digital log does appear, but it's very small like on the altavista web
    page.
    
    G. 
                           

A common mistake! Altavista Technology Inc. who own www.altavista.com has 
absolutely nothing to do with DIGITAL except that we appear in the same court 
cases every now and then - see http://www.digital.com/info/PR00SB/

AltaVista Internet Software, Inc. (who own altavista.digital.com) however IS a 
subsidiary of Digital Equipment Corporation: the following extract is from 
http://www.digital.com/info/PR00MP/


Digital Subsidiary Files for Initial Public Offering of
Common Stock 

MAYNARD, Mass., August 27, 1996 -- Digital Equipment Corporation (NYSE:DEC)
announced today that its newly-organized subsidiary, AltaVista Internet 
Software, Inc., has filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission a registration statement for an 
initial public offering
by it of shares of its common stock. Following the offering, Digital will own 
at least 80 percent of
AltaVista's common stock. Lehman Brothers Inc., Cowen & Company, and J.P. 
Morgan & Co.
will manage the offering. 

AltaVista Internet Software, Inc., offers a portfolio of software products and 
services designed
for the emerging Internet/intranet market and also offers the AltaVista 
Internet Search Service on
the World Wide Web. 

------------------

But I'm still confused - the press release says 80% of the stock will be owned 
by Digital, so I'm sure it can't be anything to do with the company I work 
for, DIGITAL ;-)

-- rOB (changing my case to improve my brand image)

    Trevor,
    
    How about www.altavista.digital.com which mentions nothing of the other
    AltaVista.  If it does I can't find it.
    
    Phew, that was hard work.
    
    Cheers for clearing that up guys,
    
    Chris :-)

        I wish I hadn't started this!
        
        Anyway, does anyone have any guesses where it was headed for...
        presumably a major sporting event of some kind?
        
        Ian.

    It was flying over DECpark a few weeks ago. It's taken a very long time
    to get 15 miles down the road to Basingstoke!
    
    Jane.

    I put "airship" and "AltaVista" into the search engine and came up with 
    http://www-server.mso.dec.com/forefront/1997_winter_02.htm
    
    which sort of suggests it has just been to Paris
    
    /tmp

    It was on the local news briefly on Easter Monday. It was here giving
    flights to underpriviledged/disabled children over the holiday. They
    mentioned that the company was a subsidiary of Digital "which has
    offices in Reading."

	It does a good impression of a flying saucer when viewed from
	a distance. This is because it has lights where the portholes
	on a real flying saucer would be.

	-John

    
    >>	This is because it has lights where the portholes on a real flying
    >>    saucer would be.                                     ^^^^
    
    
    G. %^)

    Would be?
    
    It's where they ARE!
    
    Jc

I believe that the AltaVista Blimp is based at White Waltham airfield near Maidenhead, Berks.

	It's not a blimp it's an airship, there's a difference!

	-John