marketing vs. demerit

[Henry Spencer]

> ... If they were that big a deal, DCL would support all the
> C-like control structures that the UNIX shells do.

Remember that DEC has its own agenda, not necessarily matching that of their
users.

> ... keep in mind that IBM sells primarily
> to business customers, who don't know a goto from a RAM chip, whereas DEC
> sells primarily to technical installations and research institutions.

I think you're a bit out of date.  The research institutions and technical
installations buy Suns or other fast machines these days; DEC has not been
competitive in that market for years.  DEC's big marketing push these days
is in the business market -- just look at any of their self-congratulatory
newsletters and note what kind of sales they're boasting about.
-- 
NASA is to spaceflight as            |  Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
the Post Office is to mail.          | {ihnp4,decvax,uunet!mnetor}!utzoo!henry