RE: Saving the System i: Fight Rather Than Switch

From: Lukas Beeler

20k for a 600CPW machine with 1 GB RAM, 36GB Disk. For the same amount
of money, I get a dual quad core machine, with half a tera of 15kRPM
disk space, 8GB memory, and all appropriate windows/sql server licenses.
Not that even one of our customers needs that much power.

Lukas, not to discount your words, but I just priced a Dell with the specs
you laid out, and with SQL Server two-socket connection and Windows 2003
Server it's over $26,000.  That's without backup software and also without
any development tools.  I'm not sure what IIS licensing costs, either.

At the same time, I'm pretty sure my model 520 (370CPW, granted, but still)
spec'd out at around $12K.  It was certainly under $20K with software.  And
you get OS/400 and all the development tools, which is what you're really
paying for.  If all you need is a web-serving appliance, then by all means,
go with Windows.  If you want a business rules server, you stick with the
iSeries.

Even your own architecture points this out: why does your application use
RPG for its business logic?  If Windows was such a great environment for
business applications, why haven't you rewritten your software in .NET?

Just trying to add some reality into the mix.

Joe