Re: Iseries Misconceptions

        My take on the whole 'choice' of business computer, is somewhat
different.
        The 3/x series, and the /400 machines were marketed as resilient
general purpose business computers, where the cost of training and
up-keep was well within the % of sales figures, that were generally
accepted then as standard for edp budgetary amounts.
        To-day, most companies, with the exception of software development
houses, are very reticent to spend any monies on training and education.
        This is one reason behind the apparent shortage of qualified
programming people.It goes back years , to the conflict regarding
spending monies to train your competitor's next employee, which we can
get into in another thread.

        The point I think both sides of the equation are missing here, and one
that is not being strongly marketed by IBM, is the old tried and true
need for, a fully qualified system individual, on staff, to be able to
change code, as the business evolves.
        Most companies to-day, believe that the computer will simply run
itself, that the janitor can power it on in the morning, before he/she
starts the mail room rounds.
        Perhaps the current decision makers, do not have the experience with
in-house computers, or the wisdom to understand the difference.
        I can guarantee them, that , given a large swing in business methods,
the ability of RPG to do the task, far exceeds any windoze, or 
client/server ability.
        What would take a competent RPG programmer several days to accomplish,
would probably take a pc programmer months to accomplish.
        In addition, the consultants fees, probably run $ hundreds per hour.
        Yes, there is a 'falling' out with RPG and in general the whole 
IBM mid range solution, to computing, I think perhaps the falling out
has
more to do with the costs incurred by a full time programmer, and the
fact that our society has evolved,and perception rules.
        There is no correct solution, but if I were to present one here, it
would be for IBM to undertake a huge project, to expand five fold the
capabilities of RPG, to challenge all current and popularly used pc
programs.
        They did it with mainframes, now the backbone to tackle the others.No,
I'm not talking VArpg.
-- 
Best Regards
Ken Shields
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