“Compaq has dropped its plans to convert its version of the Unix
operating system to Intel’s upcoming high-end processors, the
computer maker confirmed today.
As expected, Compaq Computer will focus its energies on
developing and marketing its Tru64 Unix only for its own chip, the
Alpha, not Intel’s future IA-64 family of chips. Compaq
announced the move in a memo to employees today.
The decision will mirror the end of the development of Windows
NT and its successor, Windows 2000, for use on the Alpha chip, a
move that led Compaq to dismiss about 100 engineers.”
“The move is a strong contrast to what some Compaq competitors
have chosen. Sun Microsystems and IBM will support their version of
Unix on both their own chips and Intel’s IA-64 chips.
Hewlett-Packard and SGI, meanwhile, are abandoning their own chip
lines over the course of the next few years as they move their
versions of Unix to IA-64.”