Conference 7.286::digital

	Well,....since my bread is buttered here in HLO I should do
	myself a favor and keep my mouth shut. But this rumor strikes
	to close to home to ignore,...the rumor floating around HLO
	indicates that it is not an outright sale.

			-Dave-

    
     Whether it is, or is not an outright sale, something major seems to be
     ramping up.  Tomorrow's DVN announcement regarding "a very significant
     business announcement for Digital" at 12:30 should answer many
     questions.  
    
     I believe every employee is invited to the broadcast.
    
     Joel

	While very significant I doubt that all employees would be invited
	to witness a "sale" of fellow digits.

	I believe that tomorrow's DVN will be a Gates and Palmer show live
        from sunny CA. Does anyone care to comment on the possibility of an
        eventual VMS->WNT migration path for VMS workstation owners who also want
        access to boring software like MS Office or MS Visual C++????

	-Dave-

    Maybe Microsoft wants into the silicon business, so that it can do unto
    Intel what it done unto IBM ?  So Microsoft and Digital become partners
    in HLO ?
    
    Regardless of how sane this may sound, I'm sort of joking, and really
    know nothing about anything resembling this...
    
    \chuck

    Sounds like possibly someone important is buying into the
    Alpha technology.    Maybe the industry is starting to realize
    that the Alpha is worthy of investment.  
    
    Alpha Inside! 

Of course, it could be that excess capacity will be used to make Intel or
Intel-clone chips.

    re .4
    
    Microsoft definitely wants into the silicon business, the 2D graphics
    accelerator business. They are starting up a 2D graphics hardware
    group and are willing to pay top dollar for the right people.
    
    Mike 

	Here is a Palmer quote from Reuters, (Phone conference on August 1st):

	"He (Palmer) also said Digital is confident in getting a 
         partner by the end of 1995 to share expenses in its state-of-the-art
         semiconductor factory in Hudson, Mass."

	Doesn't sound like a pending deal to me???




	Here is a news article from WSJ, August 1st:

DJ   08/01 0601  Microsoft, Digital Expected  To Broaden Partnership

   From The Wall Street Journal
  REDMOND, Wash. -- Microsoft Corp. and Digital Equipment Corp. are expected to
announce a broadened partnership to sell computer systems and software to
corporations.
  Industry officials said plans include joint marketing and further integration
of Digital computers with Microsoft's Windows NT operating system. Microsoft is
also expected to reaffirm plans to ensure that future versions of Windows NT
will continue to work with Digital's high-speed Alpha 64-bit chip.  
Windows NT is used mainly in workstations and servers, or computers that join
together personal computers in networks. The Alpha chip is used in a broad array
of Digital machines.
  Microsoft and Digital already have a cooperation pact under which Digital's
service unit provides support services to Microsoft users. Microsoft Chairman
and Chief Executive William Gates and Digital Chairman Robert Palmer are
scheduled to appear at a news conference to announce the expanded agreement in
San Francisco tomorrow.
  (END) DOW JONES NEWS 08-01-95
   6 00 AM

   Heard a rumour here in the UK last night that we might now be working for Mr 
   Gates.....
 
   I dunno if this is feasible or not - though I am led to believe the company 
   is ripe for such a move.
 
   Re: .3 - would a sharing of Hudson be that important ? We recently sold off 
   the Scottish plant and I don't remember that being the subject of a special 
   DVN.
 
   Re: -1 - this is a sort of � way house between where we are now and complete 
   ownership by Microsoft. Has more credence in my mind.
 
   Ah well - not long to wait now anyways...
 
   Rog

    If we are bought to become Microsoft's hardware arm, will that make us
    Microhard?  And if so, would we really want such a name? :-)
    
    //Alan

    Nah,  it will make us "MicroDEC" ...

    Can someone please summarise the DVN in this note.
    We have no access to DVN from Southern England and
    I'd like to know soonish if my job's changed.
    
    Regards...Gareth
    

    Try VTX LIVEWIRE, information is available now.
    
    -Bruce

    re .12 and .13:
    
    While not in the LIVEWIRE announcement, I did like Bill's continued 
    references to "  and DEC will get... " or ".. DEC will provide ..."
    
    Other than that, there was little difference between the LIVEWIRE
    note and the DVN.  Palmer gave Gates a Hi-note Ultra with multi-media
    docking station and a t-shirt with both the digital and MicroSoft
    logo's.  Gates did not have anything for Palmer :(
    
    

      
    re -.1
    
    >>> Gates did not have anything for Palmer :(
    
    Bill gave Bob a much needed public nod. Plus a 50 to 100 million dollar
    cash infusion.
    
    Hey I speak MS Word, I will now respectfully submit my desire for
    a raise.
    
    -Mike Z.
    
    (Forget cash for vacation, I want cash period.)
    

    Re .15
    
    If I'd be guaranteed a raise therefor, I might break down and brush up
    my MS Word.  As is, I'll stick with a word processor that works, fast,
    on the Macintosh, and looks like a Macintosh application.  Word loses.
    On all three counts.

	I've worked in Fab6 since the doors opened and I can't begin to tell
	you how many times we've been sold since then.
							   JT

  Happen to catch a repeat of the Nightly Business Report where Scott Gurvey
  interviewed Gates and Palmer.  At one point Scott asked Gates if the rumor
  was true that Microsoft was going to take and equity position in Digital.

  Bill laughed slightly before saying no and something like we'll do what we
  do and let Digital do... whatever it is they do.  8^)

  I don't think Bob smiled once.  The both looked somewhat uncomfortalbe.

  	mikeP