Comments on: Sun, allies broaden open-source chip push

Two companies are working on derivatives of Sun's open-source Niagara processor; Sun plans to share Niagara 2's designs, too.

[Blito]

I still think Open Spec type Hardware is safer and more competative

I really think it's more efficient and safe to be able to view the hardware and have it fixed by outside companies. Maybe you wouldn't fix the actual chip BUT it can be replaced more effectively by modification and also other chips built around that chip by alternative companies instead of just relying on the "Papa" company to just replace your stuff with a warrenty. No seious innovation and especially no customization. It's much more efficient to build around chips then to constantly reinvent the wheel with just a few companies.
Also, safer, meaning I know what I am getting and can protect myself from hackers etc. allot better. It's bad enough that specs aren't released to the public for microchips (and atomic sized nano-chips are here) but AMD's plans to start DRMing would be disastrous.

I might be to extreme in some areas of my opinion but this is where I stand now. I just think the move from tubes and wires to microchips hasn't realy been that enlightening.

I still think the constant short term (2 years) computer upgrading was and is a scam.

[bob donut]

The people at Sun don't get it

I know some people who've worked at Sun. one thing I've found is that they get so into the free-love, free software thing they forget that business is basd on competition.

Let's recap: a business is an organized group of people (usually not an individual) designed to provide goods and services in exchange for something else, usually money, AND does so in a "market", in which there are others attempting to do the same.

It's amazing that Sun hasn't died yet, but culturally, they aren't the type to seek advantage in the market. Eventually, they'll just end up being a service provider like Red Hat. Their cash cows, their software and hardware, are almost dead.

[American 1st]

Really?

Bob's comment misses the fact that Sun is doing more for the industry than any of their competitor's combined. It is easy to underestimate Sun if you don't have any vision or insight into where they're going; and, frankly, that's Sun's fault. They're "wasting" money on innovation rather than advertising. Sun powers more of the world's computing than most other vendors. The open source model provides many thousands of "developers" that produce code constantly which is reviewed for possible inclusion in Solaris, for example. There is a new release every month that has potential to become part of the OS. Many folks don't "get" Sun including many of their employees. But, to count them either "down" or "out" is to misunderstand everything about them. They are a for-profit company and the efficacy of their vision will be clear more and more as time goes on. Bob's company must not have to compete with Sun because he would be virtually "bleeding" from the battle. Bob needs to get out more to see what reality looks like. Look for more: lower cost Java-based cell phones; a more user-friendly Solaris; higher performance, lower power consumption, denser cpu chips; and many other things from SunLabs. Sun not only "gets it" but they will count on folks like Bob to win.

[bradford653]

Hardware not dead

I was at a major data center today that hosts some big name
companies... I can assure you that Sun's hardware is not dead, and
in fact makes up a substantial percentage of the thousands of
boxes that I saw among the racks. Just because you wouldn't buy
one for your desktop computer doesn't mean that it's worthless.