🚀 go-pugleaf

Hi folks,

This is my first posting here, so bear with me if I sound ignorant.
I have a question about the availability of the ALPHA worksations
for end users.  Three months ago, I heard from various people, including
my DEC sales reps, that the workstations will be available by July 15.
Then when the day rolled around, I was told that its release has been
delayed by about 3 months.  All this time, I've been waiting to order
one of these highly advertised systems, but I can't because someone at
DEC will not release them.  Then recently I heard that one of our labs
is getting a loaner, for FREE!  Now, I wonder why DEC is willing to
loan one out to someone else in my organization, while they won't
sell one to me, when I ready and willing to PAY for it?

Then there is a question of how informed or coordinated the DEC sales
reps are.  While my official reps are telling me that I can't buy one
for another 3 months, a rep from CalTech told me that they are available
NOW, and DEC's plan is to get so many thousands of them out by the end
os September.  So I press them on this point, and ask them why it is
that I can't order one yet, and how can they hope to get that many out
by the end of September when they won't even release them until the end
of October?  The answer?  No, they haven't actually taken orders for any
yet, nor do any of their customers have any yet, but they'll check back
with me on the actual release date.  Funny thing is, they work in the
same office as my reps.

Som does anyone out there know of anybody (besides 3rd party S/W
developers) who have these things, running?  How did they get it?
How can I get it?  I HAVE to order one by the end of September, or
my funding goes away.  And it won't be carried over to the next FY.
Any DEC people reading this?  I might have to go with a SUN or HP
if I can't get an ALPHA system!

eyc
-- 
>:<  Me:  Eugene Chu (Mr. Butterfly)        | Radar Science & Engineering  >:<
>:<  chu@hanauma.jpl.nasa.gov               | Jet Propulsion Laboratory    >:<
"T'is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness"
But t'is so much easier to curse the darkness.