Re: Free OS/400

> It must be said that there are various technical barriers to the
> development of non-green-screen apps: WebSphere App Server is v.greedy of
> resources and people can't justify the hardware upgrades, CA ODBC is still
> (actually or perceived) not that robust, ...
>
> Let's try to use this list to get these issues out into the open & see how
> we can help with them.

I agree. I think that some issues will naturally evolve away, like resource
issues. That is always a big thing with new technologies. When OS/2 was
released, there just weren't enough machines around with 2 or 4 megs of ram
for it to be realistic. Now, OS/2 would be by far the slimmer OS and with
greater stability and functionality.

> For example, I gather that the Apache Tomcat servlet engine may be or
> perhaps even already is available for AS/400. Could we see this as a small
> footprint alternative to WAS, where people don't need the latter's full
> horsepower? But people need to *know* about these possibilities, the cost
> implications, and the training and support implications, before they can
> make informed decisions. They also want to talk to people who've done it
> before.
>
> No-one will develop an AS/400 app that is dependent on layers of software
> (development or runtime) that they may or may not be able to trust. That's
> the attraction of developing another green-screen app - total
> predictability and minimal bottom line risk.

Sure, AS/400 people will not develop on technology that they don't trust.
That is part of the nature of our shops. But you realize that NT shops were
developing "mission critical" applications when NT was still running less
than 95% up time? AS/400 shops saw that as insanity. Personally, I
understand developing the apps, it was rolling them out that was insane. But
customers actually deployed these applications and kept them! I was involved
(against my will!) in a rollout of an NT credit reporting app that had very
poor reliability. The shop was an otherwise solid blue big company. But the
MIS people who deployed it liked the ability to show off the GUI to the
boardroom. The whole rest of the company, including all the data collection
for that app, ran on 400s. That app was only approved on NT because it
wouldn't kill anyone if it was down for a while. But that was the flashy,
showy app. I really could have puked.

I just wish an AS/400 software company had simply built a GUI front end to
all that 400 data.

The beauty of developing servlets, jsps, Java applications and applets, is
we really don't have to trust IBM to keep its commitment. Don't get me
wrong, I have had a lot of success with IBM, but I suspect they are in
business for them and not for me. But if IBM doesn't roll out the dependable
backbone for what we want to do, someone else will. I truely want to make
sure that AS/400s are always there as my server of choice, but I owe it to
myself and my customers and employers to not rely on that.

> If you are working with a non-green-screen app that you reckon is
> bullet-proof, easily maintainable, easily supportable from the desktop
> delivery point of view and that doesn't use inappropriate amounts of
AS/400
> resources - tell everyone about it!
>
> Mandy
>
>
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
>   |
|
>   |       To:     MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
|
>   |       cc:     (bcc: Mandy Shaw/ESolutions/Notability)
|
>   |       Subject:     Re: Free OS/400
|
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
>
> Regards,
> Mandy Shaw
>
> Notability Solutions plc
> Kingfisher House
> Frimley Business Park
> Camberley
> Surrey
> GU16 5SG
> UK
>
> http://www.Notability.com
> Email: Mandy.Shaw@Notability.com
>

Chris Rehm
javadisciple@earthlink.net
If you believe that the best technology wins the
marketplace, you haven't been paying attention.


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