Re: sys/36 to AS400 upgrade -- MIDRANGE-L

Roy,

As seems to be usual of late, I seem to be short the original post -- but
that never stopped me before :-)!

In a message dated 97-11-12 18:55:10 EST, you write:

> I had heard before that the upgrade will probably slow down 
>  performance because of code changes.  I keep trying to find an 
>  upgrade path but always hit a dead end.  Part of the problem is price,
>   with a 150 running about $8,000, and also the fact that I would have 
>  to migrate to a new package, and then how could I convert my data on 
>  my present machine.

In older releases of OS/400, performance of programs running in the S/36
Environment _was_ slower than it is today.  The current "perception" problem
is due, in part, to IBM lying to its sales force in saying there "was
absolutely no performance difference" back when there actually was.  There is
no reason for "code changes" to slow your performance.  IMHO, a 150 is _NOT_
a business system, and you are doing well to consider it an unacceptable
replacement for _ANY_ S/36 model -- the 150 _IS_ an excellent box for a
single developer or for use as a communications server.

I recently had a long-time client upgrade to an A/36 from a maxed-out S-model
5363, and they are _ECSTATIC_ over the performance improvement.  They still
run their old package, and must consider the Y2K issues of their choice.
 After all, their new system _IS_ Y2K compliant (where the 5363 was _NOT_)
but their application software is not.  However, the A/36 has been an
_EXCELLENT_ short-term solution for them.

>  I guess what I will do will just keep the 
>  machine going as is and just get terminal emulators for a pc network. 
>   This will probably be cheap and effective.  This solution will give 
>  me the option of using windows 95 and all of the productivity 
>  software for that platform plus email capability and what not.

You should be able to get emulation software that runs on Win '95 without
having to change systems.

>  My advice to anyone trying to upgrade is either to go all the way with 
>  new software and a new machine, or just get terminal emulation 
>  software for pc's.  One neat little package that I am considering for 
>  the sys/36 is an interoffice email package.  It is called omen/36 by 
>  K.I.S. and retails for around $195.  Can't beat that one.  So there 
>  are options for these machines, but it takes alot of shopping around 
>  to find them.

JMHO, but it sounds like you've gotten some bad advice (hard to tell without
the original post).  If you'd care to share the details of your decision, I'd
be more than glad to spend some time trying to point you in the right
direction.  I'm also sure that some of the "former 36'ers" on the list (Tim
and Dana Truax come immediately to mind) would be glad to do the same...

Regards,

Dean Asmussen
Enterprise Systems Consulting, Inc.
Fuquay-Varina, NC  USA
E-Mail:  DAsmussen@aol.com

"After thirty, the body has a mind of its own." -- Bette Midler
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