Re: New Technology was--> Beyond RPG CGI

> From: "Erik Mitsch" <baron@baron-inc.net>
> But if your company is thinking of doing it just for the sake
> of saying "We use Java and Oracle," you're going to find
> yourself questioning everything you do every step of the
> way - and that doesn't make for good business or happy
> programmers.

You're right.  But the consequences are more far-reaching than what you're
saying.  The story I recounted was softened by the passage of a decade.  We
haven't said what needs to be said.

Actually, what Mike's company is discussing is probably tantamount to
economic suicide.  Java is no substitute for RPG.  Oracle is no substitute
for DB2.  J2EE is no substitute for ILE.  Crystal Reports is not very good
at high-volume forms and statements.  The various scripting options
available under Unix are no substitute for CL.  Systems management under
OS/400 is far superior.

People, and particularly those with a non-technical background, are too
easily deceived by the lure of "open" systems that promise "cross-platform"
compatibility.

Mike and his company will question everything, every step of the way,
because just about everything they do will take more than double the effort
to get the job done.  It will cost much more than they imagine.  It's not
that business computing can't be done under Unix.  It can.  It's just more
difficult.

After a few years, Mike will look back and yearn for an integrated system.
"Open" will have lost much of it's luster.

Actually, if Mike's company stays with IBM, and adopts AIX, and AIX runs
natively under an OS/400 partition (maybe next year), they'll wonder why
they ever thought that the iSeries was a dead platform.

Everything they may want to do.  Database.  GUI.  Web.  Email.  Document
management.  Java.  Basically, all the things required to run a business,
are nicely integrated on the iSeries.  And the iSeries will provide the
basis to run AIX and Linux and OS/400 in one integrated server.

The heads of the people who proposed a departure from iSeries will be on a p
latter.  The ones remaining will wonder what they were thinking!

Nathan M. Andelin
www.relational-data.com