Re: AS/400 from EBay

Yes I have bought a few. The ones sold by IBM you are assured of what you
are getting. Just what they have listed( no tape drive, you do get the CD
drive, but no CD's for the OS the software is loaded). They have the same
price for different options, if you watch you can get a better AS/400 for
the same money from IBM. If you buy one from someone else you are gambling
a little. So you can get better (more then what is listed, like UPS's,
terminals, software) or worse (missing cables, no QSECOFR password) deals.
What most people do not understand is what software is transferable. The OS
after Version 4 has to go with the machine. Other software could go with
the box. So I have gotten just the OS all the way to getting all the
software I need, WDS, SQL, Query and client access.

You have 60 or 90 days to get software subscription I forget if 60 or 90.
After that you will have to pay a penalty fee.  One box I had to send a
letter saying I had purchased the box. Buy the time you get one V5R1 or
V5R2 will be the only current OS so you will probably need software
subscription to get up to a current OS level. You can not buy software for
unsupported releases. So if you buy a V4R4 system and it does not have RPG,
you can not buy RPG for it at V4R4, you will have to get software
subscription and go to at least V5R1 and then buy RPG.

Just getting the license key does not mean the software is still licensed
to the box, you need to get the proof of entitlement. Most people have no
clue what this is. It is an 8.5 X 11 piece of paper saying proof on
entitlement with a number on it. Just because you do not get this does not
mean the software is not licensed to the box but if you are paying extra
for the software make sure you get it.

The only way I have found what is licensed to a box was through a business
partner. Even IBM's key center. (1-800-446-8989
https://www-5.ibm.com/servers/eserver/iseries/wwkms/servlet/wwwiseriesservlet.wss
) could not tell me for sure what was licensed to the AS/400.

For maintenance it has ranged from IBM just adding it to having to see it
run. It might depend on how long it has been since it was on maintenance
with IBM.

John Ross
www.netshare400.com
www.opensource400.org

At 08:56 AM 12/9/2002 -0500, you wrote:

Has anyone purchased one through EBay or another auction site?

Any thoughts on how OS/400 and maintenance is handled?

Any other pros and cons we should consider?