🚀 go-pugleaf

First, I'm not a Convex spokesman, these are my opinions and relation of
facts as I seem them, not the corporation.

My original comments were not made specific to Convex machines.  Besides
Cray, there are a number of other domestic companies which build super or
near-super class computers.

In article <1992Jul30.232538.12037@equator.com> cutler@equator.com (Ben Cutler) writes:
>Last time I checked, your company (Convex) bought most of its memory
>chips from the Japanese, and you used a Japanese fab for your cpu gate
>arrays for the C1 and C2 series machines.  Unless I'm mistaken, the
>fab you used was in fact Fujitsu's.
>
>So, assuming your argument in favor of "American" vendors has merit, why
>should the military favor Convex over Fujitsu?

Let me reiterate that my post was meant only as a possible justification 
for using U.S. components at some critical military sites, NOT as a sweeping 
generalization of exclusively using American made components at research 
institutions.

My post was aimed exclusively at facilities which are of critical importance
during wartime, which despite Mr. Fouts arguments, do exist (like JEWC).
Certainly research organizations which would not have a direct impact on
tactical military operations (which is the vast majority of government aided
projects which use supercomputers), should be free to use whatever equipment
is most effective, IMO.

Regarding the use of foreign components affecting the availability of a
domestically installed Convex computer during wartime...

Most manufacturers (including Convex) maintain an overhead of components
which I can only assume would be sufficient during a crisis period for
continued maintenance.  The more significant point is that the bulk of 
corporate, manufacturing, and technical support would be local, which in 
violent times could prove significant.

Don't make the mistake of assuming I have a protectionist attitude because
I put forward this idea.  I certainly work for a company that has a world
view and I believe our success relies on it.  This was simply a *specific*
example where the governments ban may make a modicum of sense.

jgardner
-- 
   /\ /_  _    jgardner@convex.com
   \//_//_/
   /     /     "Poor is the man whose pleasures depend
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