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
   micro}s 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}). Especially noted for its large, assembler-programmer-friendly
   instruction set -- an asset that became a liability after the RISC
   revolution.

   It is worth noting that the standard plural of VAX was `vaxen' and
   that VAX system operators were sometimes referred to as `vaxherds'

   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

   <computer> /vaks/ (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 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://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)
    

VAX
       Virtual Address eXtension (DEC, VAX)