Re: FW: OS/400 upgrades for CISC

I for one see IBM's direction as completely justifiable.  Just as you
can't run Windows NT on a 286, so too you can't run V3R7 on CISC!  The
limitations of the CISC platform just made it impossible to continue
advancing the line.  If you think of the transition from CISC to RISC
more like a new technology than an upgrade, then this is a much smoother
move than the last one - from S/38 to AS/400.  There are competing
technologies, true, but compare your costs moving to them and supporting
them and your costs just staying on the AS/400 and upgrading to RISC. 
If it's cheaper for your tro migrate to Intel, and it suits your
business needs, great.  But for us, it makes more sense to follow IBM. 

Bob Clarke 3rd x4502 wrote:
> 
> I am forwarding to all of you an e-mail that I sent to Mr. Zeitler back in
> March.  As was the case with Dave Mahadevan, I received a reply from Wynndel
> Watts.  I'd post the response here but there's no sense in taking up the
> space (besides which I've since deleted it) - you've already seen it.  The
> response that I received back was 100%, word for word, IDENTICAL to the
> response that Dave received to his e-mail (hmmm ... perhaps Wynndel Watts is
> an autobot?).  It is very difficult to believe that IBM takes this issue
> seriously when their response is to send a 'canned' reply.  I'm curious ...
> has anyone else received the same canned response that Dave and I have?
>  Show of hands?
> 
>  ----------
> From: Bob Clarke           3rd x4502
> To: 'zeitler'
> Subject: OS/400 upgrades for CISC
> Date: Thursday, March 13, 1997 5:01PM
> 
> Dear Mr. Zeitler:
> 
> It is my understanding that you are responsible for AS/400 operating system
> software development.  I am writing to express my displeasure with IBM's
> handling of CISC customers with regard to future plans for OS/400.
> 
>  As I understand it, IBM does not plan to include any OS/400 upgrades for
> CISC beyond V3R2.  However there are many new features being included in
> emerging RISC OS/400 upgrades that I would be interested in taking advantage
> of.  Unfortunately, it was only 2 years ago that my employers expended
> considerable funds to upgrade to our model 310 advanced series (and
> concurrently to V3R1).  As such I am hardly in a position to request yet
> another capital expenditure for a RISC upgrade.  Nor do we neccesarily
> require the benefits of RISC at this time.  I am, quite frankly, largely
> disappointed that I will be unable to take advantage of future OS/400
> revisions.  Furthermore, I fear that this limitation might cause a shift in
> our corporate technology direction, toward Intel based solutions.
> 
> I do hope that IBM will consider that, while continued RISC development is
> both important and needed, there is still a large CISC customer base to
> consider.  IBM should not assume that most or all of their CISC customers
> will upgrade to RISC.  As I am sure you are aware, there are many non-IBM
> computing solutions coming to the market every day.  When one is forced to
> consider a relatively expensive upgrade, it makes good sense to re-examine
> one's options.  IBM should carefully consider to what extent they are
> willing to forego the needs of their CISC customers in favor of RISC
> development.  Again, I can certainly agree that IBM needs to continue RISC
> development in order to maintain their position in the market.  However to
> do so at the expense of CISC customers is not the answer.
> 
> I do hope that IBM will consider continued OS/400 releases beyond V3R2, with
> the same functionality as RISC OS/400, for CISC customers.  I am certain
> that I am not alone in wanting to see this.  Thank you for your time.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Bob Clarke
> (clarke@teri.org)
> 
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