> > Sun needed: internal disruption.

> After the disaster that was Viking. They might have gone 32bit x86, 64bit Alpha. DEC was desprate for Alpha buyers and would have made them a good deal. But they double down on going all in on SPARC and UltraSPARC confirmed them in this being the right solution.

The only reasonable option in the early- to mid-00s was x86_64, especially after around 2004. Even just before x86_64, having a conversation with AMD about it would have been enough -- x86 was the present and future of the industry, and all that was needed was for this to be accepted by Sun.