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Subject: Re: FH replies to Owen Williams

Author: Alvaro Polo

Date: 13:02:37 01/14/00

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On January 14, 2000 at 15:52:58, Robert Hyatt wrote:

>On January 14, 2000 at 12:52:14, Alvaro Polo wrote:
>
>>FHS should build the machine. He said he has the resources to do it alone. He
>>would also find some money to help him, I am sure. He doesnt need to become a
>>millionar out of it, so I don't see reasons not to build the new machine.
>
>
>It would be a speculative venture.  Would you spend $100,000 of your own
>money on such a project, "just because"?  I only know of one computer chess
>person that came close, and that was Bruce, buying his own personal quad
>xeon.  that is a non-trivial expense.  With little hope of getting anything
>back.  I would (myself) probably consider buying a quad xeon, for $10K+,
>but my wife would probably shoot me if I started talking about a 100K 8-way
>xeon box (she might not like the quad, but it would sound better than the
>alternative.)

If I were Hsu I would spend $100,000 dollars of my own money just to have the
dream of my life realized. Of course I know more about my own finantial
situation than about his. But he would SURE find a sponsor. Perhaps not
Microsoft, Intel or Sun. Perhaps not a couple of million dollars of sponsorship,
but enough to cover his costs and make him live. A medium size company, or a big
size company for a reasonable amount of money (100K is reasonable) or perhaps a
big company in the tiny market of computer chess, such as Chessbase, could be
interested. Even without a Kasparov match he should be able to receive 100K. His
name and the exposure he would receive are worth it.

On the other hand I understand that we are all human, and it is easier to say
"he should do it" than to do it. The finantial uncertainty, even if you are
quite sure to find money at a future date, can be psychologically devastating.

Alvaro

>
>So saying "he should do it" is easy.  It isn't your (or my) money.  But with
>no assurance of a Kasparov match, no chance to get some financial support to
>return part of that money, I'd think long about it.  IE I would think of this
>as a sort of investment, since it is a lot of money.  And with the potential for
>zero return, it would be questionable, IMHO...



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