X

Birth of a giant

The completed merger of Compaq and Digital creates the computing industry's second largest company.

CNET News staff
See full bio
CNET News staff
Special coverage: Birth of a giant June 12, 1998
2 p.m. PT
Special coverage: Birth of a giant

The computer industry's second-largest company will explore new directions.

Makeover for Compaq
news analysis The PC giant seeks to blend technologies and begin selling direct.

Digital merged
The move will spur Compaq's push into services and 64-bit computing.

Executive ranks reshuffled
The enlarged company's new management team has few members from Digital.

Firm ready to break even
Digital will add to earnings by the fourth quarter, but 2,000 layoffs loom.

Digital shareholders OK deal
The affirmative vote is the last step in a long road to the $9.6 billion takeover.

New company for Alpha
A Samsung subsidiary will market Digital Alpha chips.

 previous coverage
 • Layoffs likely in Compaq-DEC deal
 • Digital's Claflin resigns, the first to go
 • Is Digital falling off the desktop?
 • EC clears Compaq-DEC deal
 • Compaq tops IBM at large firms
 • Compaq's quest special coverage

   Compaq stock chart

 

Eckhard Pfeiffer, Compaq CEO

 

I've met with a lot of Digital customers the past few months and I have made a commitment that Compaq will continue to support the Alpha server.