Re: Zeitler call comments

I Read the article from Frank Soltis.  Having known Frank for 10 15 years,
I am very happy for him.
It now seems like he has finally won.  The Future for IBM is the PowerPC
not CMOS.  SLIC will run it all and Rochester finally has a prestigious
position as a premier software/hardware development location within IBM.

That's a far cry from what it was in 1980 or 1990.

Now Then.  The only Concern I have is the same as Janet's.   Yes, iSeries
Hardware is in the Future.  And Rochester's future seems golden.

However,  No one really cares if the iSeries has a future....  Believe me.
What I think the majority care about is whether OS/400 has a future.  We
can't see, feel, touch the hardware or SLIC anymore than we could 10-20
years ago.
We only know,feel,touch OS/400.  To us a Sys/38 WAS CPF.  An AS/400 (now
iSeries)  WAS and IS  OS/400.

How many new/existing Software firms are targeting OS/400 is the question?
Not Linux running on an eServer.
Not Windows running on an eServer (even if it has 90% of the hardware and
SLIC of an iSeries)

The bottom line question is, will OS/400 become like the 36 environment?

Supported for time on the eServer but not being pushed by IBM as the target
of development for application providers.  That is what I am going to ask
Kim.

Imagine a future where in order to be a iSeries person means you only know
*nix ?

John

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In my mind, the key question isn't whether the iSeries box is central to
the IBM
hardware strategy.  It is whether iSeries-based software and operational
skills
will be useful in the eServer of the future;  this vision of server
consolidation sure seems to be exceedingly complex;  I wonder whether
today's
midrange customers will be willing or able to deal with it...

Hopefully Kim's call will be able to set our minds at rest, because right
now
the IBM strategy looks awfully scary, despite all the talk about eLiza...

Janet Krueger
Rochester