Re: [cobalt-developers] Re: EOL Product Info

["William L. Thomson Jr." <support@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, 2003-05-22 at 16:20, support@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> 
> > Bottom line it seems Sun bought Cobalt to jump into Linux. Without
> > actually having a long term plan or strategy with Cobalt.
> 
> Do you think so? I'm not sure. 

Yes I am sure. Look at the new Cobalt products since Sun bought Cobalt.
What new products? Exactly my point. The 550 was in development prior to
the acquisition.

So Sun obviously had no plans to release any new Cobalt products. If
they had, they would have been out by now.


> I think they simply had nothing like
> this low-end product, and selling-numbers of Spracs went down 

Possible, but they did not sell that many Cobalts. If they did, they
would have justified new product releases. Thus lack of sales, lack of
new product offerings.

Really what Sun got out of it, was the ability to say Sun and Linux in
the same sentence. Which is much more valuable than any revenues
generated by Cobalt products.

> > Now Sun has found it's direction with Linux, and unfortunately had to
> > destroy Cobalt in the process.
> 
> It's really funny: this week i read some CNET-Newssletters with an interview
> with someone from Sun saying they are going to do even more with linux.

Yes, I had a hour conversation with Sun's Linux Developer relations
dept. Sun is very serious and committed to Linux.

Suns stance on Cobalt was the complete opposite. Basically there is no
more Cobalt. They color still lives on, but that's about it.

> So it seems rather odd to me that they discontinue Cobalts WITHOUT
> pesenting even any appropriate replacement.

Thus having no plans for the line. Sun could not figure out after buying
Cobalt how to fit it in with their other products.

It's like dealing with extreme high end and low end customers.
Completely different mentalities. 

>  As far as i know they have
> nothing similar - i mean nothing with this administration surface etc.

Nope, the control station still lives, and supposedly can control
LX50's. I can't seem to find anything saying that the control station is
also EOL. Anyone?

Hopefully the will do something beneficial to the Linux world with the
existing GUI and admin stuff?

> As far as i know IBM does have some appliance like this, i think they
> did something together with SuSE. 

So does Dell, and just about everyone and their brother. Are anyone as
good or popular as the Cobalts? Well I can't comment on the quality
differences, but we all know in the server appliance market. Cobalt is
the most well known.

> > Yes, it would be wise for Sun to do something with the Cobalt line.
> > However if it was in the stars, they would have done it by now.
> 
> Yes, somebody should, because there are a lot of RaQs in use. I once
> had the possibility to step into above.net NOC ... there were many blue
> boxes. so i'm quite sure that all the companies using RaQ don't want to
> change the system, everyone knows what that would mean. It's ugly work. 

Oh yes, there are many in the world. Cobalt was a good company and was
making money. Thus Sun even being able to justify buying them. I guess
they could have done it for tax right off purposes, but I am pretty sure
Cobalt was going strong prior to the buy out.

> So i don't really think they are dead because there are still many
> customers. But, yes, who is going to do that? 

Sure there will be people supporting the software. However when a fan
dies, where do we get them from? When the lcd dies where do we get a
replacement.

Where are the new 3Ghz RaQ's? Never to come?

So Cobalt as a company, releasing new products, and supporting current
ones is dead.

Sun will provided certain levels of support, but that has been
inadequate even prior to the products being EOL.

So as I wipe a tear away from my eye, I ask again where do we send
flowers for the Cobalt funeral?

-- 
Sincerely,
William L. Thomson Jr.
Support Group
Obsidian-Studios, Inc.
3548 Jamestown Ln.
Jacksonville, FL 32223
Phone/Fax  904.260.2445
http://www.obsidian-studios.com