Re: Why NT and NOT AS/400 -- MIDRANGE-L


   While i agree with most of what you say - yes, OS/400 is one of 
the best OS's i've seen, besides of being very stable, reliable and 
scalable- i can't agree with one of your affirmations. Yes, AS/400 
will run rings around any NT you will throw at it, here and in the 
future, but dont you think saying that it will do the same to unix 
a little far fetched? "very large transaction volumes and very large 
data base needs" are catered as well by most unix flavours, with 
matching reliability and stability, not to mention their large 
cientifical/engineering processing capabilities. And if you mentioned 
DB2 as a plus on AS/400, may i recall you that DB2 is from Ibm, and 
that Ibm also has Aix machines running the same DB2. I know by 
experience that for most AS/400 men its easy to dismiss unix, but 
that is, at least from what i see, the results of marketing people 
doing their job. People that worked and works with both 
environments (AS/400 & Unix) can point good differences at both, 
but a lot unites them, and those capabilities you denied for unix 
are both worlds plus points, even more when compared with NT. To 
conclude, i believe you forgot to mention your AS/400 bias, when you 
mentioned the SQL one. ;-)

   I hope this wasnt too off-topic, people.


Best wishes,

Pedro Manuel Rodrigues

 >Well, to just relay the traditional message; you should choose 
the >best application for the client's need.  The platform should be
>considered only after the proper solution is defined.. then it can
>mitigate a decision (prior experience, existing infrastructure
>investment, etc.)
>
<Actually, if you and your client are on the cutting edge, choose 
>BOTH! The AS/400 will now support an Intel board that will run NT4.0 
>and share the AS/400 file system and security interfaces!  I still 
<think that the AS/400 OS/400 is one of the strongest and most stable 
>OS ever to hit a processor (been working with em since they first
>shipped)..... but NT does have the nicer presentation and somewhat
<easier to use (depends on your background). For very large 
>transaction volumes and very large data base needs, the AS/400 will 
<run rings around any NT platform (or Unix for that matter) IMHO. 
>Simple and fast and efficient.. even runs DB2 if you don't have an 
>SQL bias <smile>.
>
>Some of the latest AS/400 server offerings seem pretty attractive.  
>I would suggest you analyze the client's true need and then 
>determine the platform and OS which best supports the application.
>
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