Posts by bsmaalders@mas.to
 (DIR) Post #ASSUWmecGZTboQPOHg by bsmaalders@mas.to
       2023-02-08T04:34:18Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @mjg59 Solaris did the same thing w/ FP in general, although the utility was reduced by presence of FP variables in the default doprnt (iirc) routines.  The kernel was off-limits for FP for speed reasons as well; later on, routines that wanted to use extended register save behavior enabled it explictly only when needed (bcopy, crypto, etc.).
       
 (DIR) Post #ASUCq5KfdRjkNx3L3w by bsmaalders@mas.to
       2023-02-09T00:25:29Z
       
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       @mjg59 You only get to fold, spindle and mutilate cables so many times before they take their sometimes subtle revenge.
       
 (DIR) Post #ASzWv42vzt3gxM3cpc by bsmaalders@mas.to
       2023-02-21T03:49:10Z
       
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       @danak6jq @stuartmarks When I worked at FMC's Central Engineering Labs in the mid 1980s, the IT group loved their Vax.  Everyone used it from the admins to the finite element design folks... but there was no chargeback; computer time was free.  So the head of IT had FMC buy a V9000 (8600), but it was expensive, so computer time was no longer free - it was $$$ to recover costs.  Everyone started buying PCs, Sun workstations, ... Chaos ensued, rogue compute resources made "against policy"...
       
 (DIR) Post #ASzWv5AloEv8RwjOgS by bsmaalders@mas.to
       2023-02-21T03:58:35Z
       
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       @danak6jq @stuartmarks That was an 8600; I checked Wikipedia and the timeline of the new vaxen.  It was nearly 40 years ago...
       
 (DIR) Post #ASzWv6hm70upCbBGlc by bsmaalders@mas.to
       2023-02-22T02:41:48Z
       
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       @danak6jq @danmcd @stuartmarks The rate of technical change in those years was just wrenching; hardware aged really fast, and if a company didn't ship product on time - or missed a transition - it really hurt the bottom line.  This happened because there was so much competition - lots of different vendors, trying lots of new ideas.  DEC's attempt to protect their larger VAXen from smaller machines led to their MicroVaxs not competing with anyone else's machines.
       
 (DIR) Post #AUod6GvWzEG9PHOXbM by bsmaalders@mas.to
       2023-04-19T16:39:20Z
       
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       @stux As much as I agree with your post about oversized vehicles, it's not really a good comparison, which mutes your argument somewhat.  A modern crewcab 4x4 is not the same as a low end non-4x4 pickup just because they both have the same description "pickup".  I have a 1996 F250 4x4 crew cab; it also towers over your example 20 year old truck and is is of course much more capable vehicle in terms of carrying people, towing trailers and use off-road or in snow/ice.
       
 (DIR) Post #AVVAKLL1KBaypnEzNw by bsmaalders@mas.to
       2023-05-10T05:08:04Z
       
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       @mjg59 So this rubs you the wrong way?
       
 (DIR) Post #AWtXbjNSmAV6r6YTOC by bsmaalders@mas.to
       2023-06-20T21:15:34Z
       
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       @grammargirl You may wish to look for shredded & composted yard waste.  Many of the chemicals in tires are proprietary and have had little testing for safety outside of exposure during tire construction.  Recently it was discovered that tire wear compounds were affecting salmon in the Pacific Northwest: https://ecology.wa.gov/Blog/Posts/January-2023/Saving-Washington-s-salmon-from-toxic-tire-dust
       
 (DIR) Post #AaRLRrMU8DmjWpUyAa by bsmaalders@mas.to
       2023-10-04T22:15:50Z
       
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       @grammargirl It can work, although perhaps not ideal for random bags of cereal, etc.
       
 (DIR) Post #AabFe5wpQdVSSafhku by bsmaalders@mas.to
       2023-10-09T16:36:53Z
       
       1 likes, 0 repeats
       
       I finally deleted my bird site account today.