Want to buy a fast, affordable, OpenVMS Alpha workstation?

Good luck - Digital doesn't build them. However, a glimmer of hope is on the horizon.. Digital semiconductor has stated that they can build the hardware described below at the prices shown. Many of us would like to have such a machine, but not running WNT. Historically, and presently, the OpenVMS licenses to do so would cost much more than the machine itself. The software prices shown here are my estimates of the correct market prices for the pieces mentioned - these are the maximum that typical end users might be willing to pay to use this software given the street price for competing software (WNT, OS/2, Linux), at the minimum functionality for the software that they would accept.

Many of us would buy the system described here today if it were available. Unfortunately, it looks like we are going to have to lobby Digital very hard to convince them to produce an OpenVMS version and sell it to us at a reasonable price. Digital has apparently accepted the theory that there is no market for inexpensive OpenVMS machines, without having done the experiment of actually producing one. One way to prove that their hypothesis is wrong is to to present them with a list of essentially guaranteed sales at the price point shown. So, after reading the specs below, if you would be willing to "sign on the bottom line" fill out this form and add your vote to the others. This does not commit you legally or otherwise to purchase such a machine should it ever be produced, but it does indicate that you would seriously consider such a purchase.

A summary of the current survey results will be shown after you submit this form, or may be obtained here without having to submit the form. The list of contact information will only be released to a representative from Digital, who may contact me here. (Somebody in engineering may have to do this - it looks like marketing doesn't care.)

Digital semiconductor's price estimate for the hardware (with the amount of system RAM doubled to 64 Mb.) (All prices in US dollars) :

  Microprocessor/Chipset/Cache RAM     425  (500 Mhz!)
  Motherboard                          239
  64 Mb EDO/S DRAM                     320
  Graphics 64-bit/2MB SG                55
  2.4 GB Hard drive                    160
  Floppy, 8X CD-ROM DRive               61
  Case/Power                            80
  17 inch monitor                      360
  Keyboard and Mouse                    17
  Subtotal                            1717
  Gross Margin 30%                     515
  Total System Price (No OS)          2232
  Estimated SPECint95/SPECfp95       14/17

Optional software (price to end user):

  OpenVMS package                      500
    Compiler Package                   500
    Extra interactive users            150 (each)
  WNT Package                          300
  Digital Unix Package                 ???

Media, documentation, and licenses for OpenVMS base, cluster, single user, TCP/IP, DECnet end node, DECwindows/Motif, MSCP, TSCP, Pathworks server (PC + Mac), 1 client each for each type of Pathworks server. No software support other than free patch downloads via the internet.

Media, documentation, and licenses for DEC C, DEC C++, Pascal, Fortran 77, Fortran 90, DECset. No software support other than free patch downloads via the internet.