[W/K] :: VAX

  VAX
       Virtual Address eXtension (DEC, VAX)
       
       

  VAX /vaks/ n. 1. [from Virtual Address eXtension] The most successful
     minicomputer design in industry history, possibly excepting its
     immediate ancestor, the PDP-11. Between its release in 1978 and its
     eclipse by killer micros after about 1986, the VAX was probably the
     hacker's favorite machine of them all, esp. after the 1982 release of
     4.2 BSD Unix (see BSD). Esp. noted for its large,
     assembler-programmer-friendly instruction set -- an asset that became a
     liability after the RISC revolution. 2. A major brand of vacuum cleaner
     in Britain. Cited here because its sales pitch, "Nothing sucks like a
     VAX!" became a sort of battle-cry of RISC partisans. It is even
     sometimes claimed that DEC actually entered a cross-licensing deal with
     the vacuum-Vax people that allowed them to market VAX computers in the
     U.K. in return for not challenging the vacuum cleaner trademark in the
     U.S.
  
     A rival brand actually pioneered the slogan: its original form was
     "Nothing sucks like Electrolux". It has apparently become a classic
     example (used in advertising textbooks) of the perils of not knowing the
     local idiom. But in 1996, the press manager of Electrolux AB, while
     confirming that the company used this slogan in the late 1960s, also
     tells us that their marketing people were fully aware of the possible
     double entendre and intended it to gain attention.
  
     And gain attention it did - the VAX-vacuum-cleaner people thought the
     slogan a sufficiently good idea to copy it. Several British hackers
     report that VAX's promotions used it in 1986-1987, and we have one
     report from a New Zealander that the infamous slogan surfaced there in
     TV ads for the product in 1992.
  
  

  VAX
       
           /vaks/ (Virtual Address eXtensio) The most
          successful minicomputer design in industry history, possibly
          excepting its immediate ancestor, the PDP-11.  Between its
          release in 1978 and its eclipse by killer micros after about
          1986, the VAX was probably the hacker's favourite machine,
          especially after the 1982 release of 4.2BSD Unix.
          Especially noted for its large, assembly
          code-programmer-friendly instruction set - an asset that
          became a liability after the RISC revolution.
       
          VAX is also a British brand of carpet cleaner
          (http://www.vax.co.uk/) whose advertising slogan, "Nothing
          sucks like a VAX!" became a battle-cry of RISC partisans.  It
          is even sometimes claimed that DEC actually entered a
          licencing deal that allowed them to market VAX computers in
          the UK in return for not challenging the carpet cleaner
          trademark in the US.
       
          The slogan originated in the late 1960s as "Nothing sucks like
          Electrolux", Electrolux AB being a rival Swedish company.  It
          became a classic textbook example of the perils of not knowing
          the local idiom, which is ironic because, according to the
          Electrolux press manager in 1996, the double entendre was
          intentional.  VAX copied the slogan in their promotions in
          1986-1987, and it surfaced in New Zealand TV ads as recently
          as 1992!
       
          [{Jargon File]
       
          (2000-09-28)