Subject: RE: Fastest computer 21164A
From: "Steve Luther" <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 30 Jan 1996 19:45:14 -0800

>Wasn't it you guys who just posted that you are selling a 366 MHz =
>machine.   The only DEC product in that speed rating in the New 21164A  =
>(notice the A) chip. Your mother board has not been redesigned to use =
>this chip.
>So, when you claim that you have a 366 MHz machine,  what you are doing =
>is taking a 21164 chip (notice no A) that is rated at 300 MHz and =
>clocking it up to 366 MHz.   And then you have the 8's to claim that you =
>are not misleading the public? =20

>Those of you on the list help me out here.  Is this not what carrera =
>post last week.=20

I'm afraid I can't help you out.  You see...You have taken what Carrera
has been saying out of context.  Carrera did say that they were 
experimenting with overclocking in the lab and I don't think he implied
that these machines were available for the public.  Also, you said Deskstation 
is taking orders for the 21164A but they don't expect to ship until March.
So the 21164A is not available from anyone except for DEC.  DEC made
an announcement today, Jan 30, of the availability of the new chip in its 8400,
2100, and Alphastation systems.  So all this talk of 350 or 366MHz cpus and
misleading of the public is muted.

Anyways, in my opinion, I would have a hard time buying anything from
Deskstation as they don't provide support for anything other than Windows NT
as an operating system.  Yes, I'm a LW user and I realize that this is the
LW list and LW runs only on Alphas with WNT, but I also have the need to
run the other operating systems the Alpha supports.  Alpha supports 3
other operating systems, OpenVMS, Digital Unix, and Linux.  Consequently, 
Deskstation was knocked out of the competition very early.  I would have
bought my Alpha from Carrera if it were not for the state tax that would
have been imposed because I live in California.  I did purchase my Alpha
from DCG Computers where there is no state tax (New Hampshire) and used
the savings to purchase more disk drives.  Since my Alpha motherboard is
made by Digital Semiconductor, DEC fully warantees it.  A big plus my book.
I don't know how Deskstation can compete with service when compared to DEC who
is a greater than $12 billion company.

Steve Luther