RE: IBM a personal comment

["Shields, Ken" <kenshields@xxxxxxx>]

Thanks folks.
                So far I've got back quite a few replies, and they all point to 
the fact that IBM's ISeries, does not have good exposure,
requires a great deal of specialist setup, and $, and quite a few of you have 
had bad experience with the platform in different areas
                I've worked in the midrange world for many moons, and although 
the platform is solid, IMHO , it has to 'open' up 
much further.
                We're working and living in a world where an entire development 
world can be downloaded to your desktop for free..
(a good example is Java 2) etc...and in order to do any development in the 
ISeries world ,you have to spend a lot of money to 
acquire a machine, and then , acquire all the licensing for the software, anon 
anon..

                There is general agreement, that exposure in Colleges and 
Universities is insufficiently supported by that 
division of IBM, and as a footnote, IBM is getting their socks knocked off in 
this very important arena.

                Question now is, will they do anything about it?
  

Ken Shields
PPG Canada Inc
Ph: 905 725 1144 (326)
Fx: 905 433 8712