Re: "State of the Midrange" by Don Rima

Personally, I don't see what the big deal is over the possible rename to
I500 or whatever.  Before it's done, if it is done, IBM will gather up
rights to any names it wants to use.  A rose by any other name ... And a
rename is not the same as the Coke debacle, where the product itself was
actually pulled from the marketplace.  Besides, if they (current IBM senior
management) change the name (put their fingerprint on it) they may take some
pride in ownership and start hawking it.  Who knows.  ..... And what would
it take, could it be profitable for IBM to release OS/400 for PC's ... with
the software priced reasonably ?  Could OS/400 for PC's be made available
for free, like Linux (but not open source), making it infinitely more
interesting and accessible, thereby selling more high end hardware to
support mid and large size companies who need the five 9's.
-Dave K

----- Original Message -----
From: Rob Dixon <rob.dixon@erros.co.uk>
To: <MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 22, 2000 3:50 AM
Subject: Re: "State of the Midrange" by Don Rima


>
>
> "See this article by Don Rima.  Please note that Don wrote this on his
own,
>
> > and I had nothing to do with it's creation.  This is not to imply that I
> > disagree with him.
> >
> > http://www.wash-midrange.org/StateoftheMidrange.htm
>
> This is powerful stuff and it needs to be said, even if, in the process,
it may
> not have done much good to the confidence of some AS/400 users who were
> listening.
>
> I remember thinking when, in 1988, IBM launched the AS/400, "with this IBM
will
> conquer the world".  I know that that was not the last time that I was
totally
> wrong, but it is entirely IBM's fault (the Corporation - not Rochester)
that they
> did not conquer.  Despite the vast numbers of  NT & other boxes out there
today
> (and there was no NT, etc. in 1988), IBM could still conquer the world
although
> it would be dramatically more difficult today than in 1988.
>
> Basically they have the product to do it - it may need a few features.  It
> certainly needs to be much more competitive at the lower end of the
market. This
> is a problem that IBM could solve in an instant if they wished.  How many
"AS/400
> thinkpads" such as Frank Soltis has mentioned would they sell - more than
the
> total installed base of AS/400's today?  It wouldn't surprise me.  Such a
machine
> would spread the word about the AS/400 - it would not need high level
budget
> approval for purchase and people who are not used to the AS/400 could
learn and
> show their bosses what it could do.
>
> So often IBM has good ideas and then, in my view, screws them up.  For
instance
> why on the new machines do you have to pay a fortune to continue using
your old
> 5250's ?  IBM seems to be so concerned about not "giving away" something.
The
> result will surely be that users who want 5250 will hang on as long as
they can
> to their existing boxes.  Surely this stupidity is a serious inhibitor to
people
> upgrading.  They will resent IBM charging them a lot more to continue to
use the
> terminals that IBM sold them in the past.  MS must love it - IBM saying
that the
> cheapest way to use your AS/400 is to use a PC with a MS OS on it.
>
> The trouble is that in exchanges like this on this and other forums, we
are all
> preaching to the converted.  Don's broadside may reach some of the right
people
> in IBM (Al  has forwarded it), but will one person's view change anything?
I
> doubt it.
>
> Will changing the name of the AS/400 if it happens change anything?  I
doubt it.
>
> If IBM cannot tell the world what a superb platform the AS/400 is, how
will they
> be able to tell the world that the I/500 (or whatever) is a superb
platform?
>
> These exchanges on this and other lists are amusing but they are time
consuming
> and I don't believe that they change anything.
>
> Perhaps we should take some action - all write to Lou direct or even
better all
> subscribers to this and other lists should turn up at an agreed time at
Lou's
> office with the media in tow.  That would increase the number of people
who had
> heard of the AS/400 if nothing else.
>
> I have no influence or contact with IBM.  But others on this list do.  Can
they
> put themselves forward and act as our spokespersons (if they are willing)
and go
> as a delegation on our behalf to see top level IBM management (Lou if
possible)?
>
> Even those of us who are AS/400 bigots may feel that if IBM continually
works
> against the interests of our employers (and so against our own interests
as
> AS/400 people) we may get to the stage where we feel obliged to recommend
to our
> employers that they drop the AS/400.  Since IBM seems to make few new
sales, the
> AS/400 would then die.  Which of us wants to be working for the last
company to
> scrap its AS/400 (or I/500)?
>
>
> Rob Dixon
> ________________________________________________________
>
> Erros plc
>
> 44 (0) 1844 239 339
>
> http://www.erros.co.uk - The AS/400 Neural Database for the Internet
>
> _________________________________________________________
>
>
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