Hi all,
back from the Systems 95 show in Munich I have some interesting
news for you. First the bad ones:
a) ACER Europe isn't interested in Linux/MIPS for their PICA
systems. Their Risc-based systems are only available in
far east and, rather inofficially, in US.
The man I talked to wasn't even able to give me a contact
address. Doesn't matter, I know more than he :-)
b) NEC Europe is aware of the fact that NEC Tokyo sells Risc
(Mips) based systems, but they are not available or supported
in Europe. Even more interesting, about 10-15% of the systems
SNI sells are NEC boxes produced exclusively for SNI.
The man I talked too will try to give me a contact address
in Tokyo, but doesn't believe that there's much interest
in Linux/MIPS.
c) Silicon Graphics still denies any interest in Linux/MIPS.
However, the project is well-known.
Now the good ones:
d) I really cannot confirm the statement that Linux isn't
well-known. Everyone I talked too, even those who are
not interested, did know about Linux.
e) Taataaaa!!!
SNI (Siemens/Nixdorf) will officially support Linux/MIPS.
I talked to whole bunch of SNI suits, in order of "importance":
the Director of Business Midrange Products Management,
the Midrange Systems Product Sales Manager,
the Director of the Sales Partner Support Department and
the Project Manager of the Telecommunication Services Department.
They are all highly interested in Linux/MIPS, although they never
heard about this port. Actually, they believed that /pub/Linux/ALPHA
means DEC Alpha, not "less than beta". Perhaps Sunsite should rename
this directory :-)
Anyway, they promised to provide us some hardware (at least a
RM200 box with ram and HD), full technical support via email and
telephone hotline and access to their ftp and web sites, where
we can place the Linux/MIPS archive too.
Well, isn't that good news?
Cheers,
Andy
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Andreas Busse | andy@soft-n-hard.de
Soft N Hard GbR | Phone: +49 2636-970105
Im Hufen Boden 16, D-53498 Waldorf | Fax: +49 2636-970106
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