4 ms·

Off topic: I wonder if Google will ever end up like Sun. The pinnacle of engineering, but their golden goose dried up and was acquired for pennies on the dolla

Off topic: I wonder if Google will ever end up like Sun. The pinnacle of engineering, but their golden goose dried up and was acquired for pennies on the dollar. — EDIT: why the downvotes? I genuinely don’t understand. Why not just comment below your thoughts instead.

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
Mikeb85 5y ago
No. Google uses the dark forces of advertising and free products. Sun was trying to sell products.
- achow 5y ago
  Except that Dark Forces can change its allegiance. Product search is/was moving towards Amazon. Hypothetically, if 'Metaverse' or 'Web 3.0' becomes a reality, not sure whether GOOG can do anything much there - as it is they are poor in innovations.
- ceeplusplus 5y ago
  Google is also crippled by employees who demand the firm follow the latest social justice whim (which has prevented them from entering big markets in the past, like defense and China). Sun had employees actively trying to build things, even if they were the wrong things.
- sangnoir 5y ago
  Sun failed because something "better"[1] came along (Linux and good-enough commodity x86). There's no telling if something better than Google (the product) will arise in the future; which is why Google (the company) doing it's darndest to ensure they are the ones to invent it. 1. Or hard to profitably compete with. Additionally, the dot-com bust sealed Sun's fate.
  - Annatar 5y ago
    Linux and good-enough commodity x86 are not better, nor will they ever be better, because one cannot build quality by polishing turds. Sun Microsystems failed because their hardware pricing wasn't competitive with the x86-based PC bucket turds, which were "good enough": most people working in IT can't explain why Sun hardware was superior even though it vastly was, so it was like throwing pearls before the swine. We have lots of ignorant idiots in IT, because they were drawn to good salaries like moths to a flame.
    - mrunkel 5y ago
      Perhaps instead of calling your peers idiots, you might take the time to explain what made Sun so much better?
      - Maursault 5y ago
        I don't know for sure, but I believe what made Sun's stuff so great (i.e. doesn't really ever stop working) was very tight software and hardware integration.
      - Annatar 5y ago
        With a few very notable exceptions, most of these people are not my peers, and it is highly unlikely that they will ever manage to become my peers. People here who are my peers are not idiots, so my original statement did not and does not apply to them. The question in general is, what is one doing on a web site which is supposed to be creme de la creme of Silicon Valley and having to ask why Sun Microsystems was so much better? My peer would be driven by relentless pursuit of perfection, being the best they can be at whatever they attempt: that would include researching what came before, and why it was so important when so many people say that it was important. A large portion of people working at Sun Microsystems consisted of highly and formally educated scientists and engineers, inventors in an environment which not only encouraged but inspired innovation. They had people who were capable of designing advanced hardware and people who were capable of designing advanced software, combining both into vertically integrated systems. For example: did you know that Sun UltraSPARC hardware has a crossbar switch at the core of its architecture? PC bucket turd servers still don't have that, relying instead of North and South "bridges", which are not much more than memory controllers, and certainly nowhere near a crossbar switch in design or capability. And that is just one of many, many examples of what made Sun Microsystems so great.
gaws 5y ago
> Why not just comment below your thoughts instead. Cowards downvote.
- prepend 5y ago
  The world is full of cowards. I try to adopt cowards compensating strategies (while at the same time working on increasing bravery).
ninkendo 5y ago
> why the downvotes? I genuinely don’t understand. Why not just comment below your thoughts instead. Ok, sure: I downvoted because you’re complaining about downvotes. Have a nice day!
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
gpvos 5y ago
Please don't complain about downvotes. If people see a downvoted post with merit, it will gather extra upvotes. When I saw it, it was not downvoted, but I downvoted it because of the complaint.
Aeolun 5y ago
I’m glad to see that all people that disagreed disagree with your request for an explanation, not with the content of the message :facepalm: Anyway, I think it’s because comparing Sun to Google feels uncharitable (towards Sun).
Annatar 5y ago
Because thinking of Google in those terms shows genuine ignorance: Google is an advertising company where the privacy of the users is the product to sell. Google could not be more anathema to Sun Microsystems or Silicon Graphics. No company has ever reached the standards set forth by Sun Microsystems or Silicon Graphics. Whether 0xide Computer will, remains to be seen. In the absence of working there, one can only hope.
- criticas 5y ago
  Apple? Or do you argue Apple doesn't count because they're not in the business computing space, or that they're essentially a consumer products company that also makes personal computers?
  - Annatar 5y ago
    Yes, Apple doesn't count because they are in the consumer space.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

Mikeb85 5y ago

No. Google uses the dark forces of advertising and free products. Sun was trying to sell products.

achow 5y ago
Except that Dark Forces can change its allegiance. Product search is/was moving towards Amazon. Hypothetically, if 'Metaverse' or 'Web 3.0' becomes a reality, not sure whether GOOG can do anything much there - as it is they are poor in innovations.
ceeplusplus 5y ago
Google is also crippled by employees who demand the firm follow the latest social justice whim (which has prevented them from entering big markets in the past, like defense and China). Sun had employees actively trying to build things, even if they were the wrong things.
sangnoir 5y ago
Sun failed because something "better"[1] came along (Linux and good-enough commodity x86). There's no telling if something better than Google (the product) will arise in the future; which is why Google (the company) doing it's darndest to ensure they are the ones to invent it. 1. Or hard to profitably compete with. Additionally, the dot-com bust sealed Sun's fate.
- Annatar 5y ago
  Linux and good-enough commodity x86 are not better, nor will they ever be better, because one cannot build quality by polishing turds. Sun Microsystems failed because their hardware pricing wasn't competitive with the x86-based PC bucket turds, which were "good enough": most people working in IT can't explain why Sun hardware was superior even though it vastly was, so it was like throwing pearls before the swine. We have lots of ignorant idiots in IT, because they were drawn to good salaries like moths to a flame.
  - mrunkel 5y ago
    Perhaps instead of calling your peers idiots, you might take the time to explain what made Sun so much better?
    - Maursault 5y ago
      I don't know for sure, but I believe what made Sun's stuff so great (i.e. doesn't really ever stop working) was very tight software and hardware integration.
    - Annatar 5y ago
      With a few very notable exceptions, most of these people are not my peers, and it is highly unlikely that they will ever manage to become my peers. People here who are my peers are not idiots, so my original statement did not and does not apply to them. The question in general is, what is one doing on a web site which is supposed to be creme de la creme of Silicon Valley and having to ask why Sun Microsystems was so much better? My peer would be driven by relentless pursuit of perfection, being the best they can be at whatever they attempt: that would include researching what came before, and why it was so important when so many people say that it was important. A large portion of people working at Sun Microsystems consisted of highly and formally educated scientists and engineers, inventors in an environment which not only encouraged but inspired innovation. They had people who were capable of designing advanced hardware and people who were capable of designing advanced software, combining both into vertically integrated systems. For example: did you know that Sun UltraSPARC hardware has a crossbar switch at the core of its architecture? PC bucket turd servers still don't have that, relying instead of North and South "bridges", which are not much more than memory controllers, and certainly nowhere near a crossbar switch in design or capability. And that is just one of many, many examples of what made Sun Microsystems so great.

gaws 5y ago

> Why not just comment below your thoughts instead. Cowards downvote.

prepend 5y ago
The world is full of cowards. I try to adopt cowards compensating strategies (while at the same time working on increasing bravery).

ninkendo 5y ago

> why the downvotes? I genuinely don’t understand. Why not just comment below your thoughts instead. Ok, sure: I downvoted because you’re complaining about downvotes. Have a nice day!

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

gpvos 5y ago

Please don't complain about downvotes. If people see a downvoted post with merit, it will gather extra upvotes. When I saw it, it was not downvoted, but I downvoted it because of the complaint.

Aeolun 5y ago

I’m glad to see that all people that disagreed disagree with your request for an explanation, not with the content of the message :facepalm: Anyway, I think it’s because comparing Sun to Google feels uncharitable (towards Sun).

Annatar 5y ago

Because thinking of Google in those terms shows genuine ignorance: Google is an advertising company where the privacy of the users is the product to sell. Google could not be more anathema to Sun Microsystems or Silicon Graphics. No company has ever reached the standards set forth by Sun Microsystems or Silicon Graphics. Whether 0xide Computer will, remains to be seen. In the absence of working there, one can only hope.

criticas 5y ago
Apple? Or do you argue Apple doesn't count because they're not in the business computing space, or that they're essentially a consumer products company that also makes personal computers?
- Annatar 5y ago
  Yes, Apple doesn't count because they are in the consumer space.