Re: AS/400 vs. NT

["Luther Ananda Miller" <luther.miller@xxxxxxxxxx>]

That is absolutely right- and one of the reasons I am putting my longer term bets on Java. I think that the terminal concept is going GUI as we speak, and Java will end up being the language of the front end. At some point in time network terminals with java capability should be able to meet the low price / low admin costs that make them valuable. Applications/data can reside on the server. To a certain extent this model already exists, but I think it will gain popularity in the next couple of years.On a larger scale browsers and HTML and the Internet are sort of similar model- HTML and the browser are the low cost low admin "terminal" ..

 

You comments on green screens made me stop and think too. I do lots of work on the AS/400 via PC5250, and it would sure be nice to have some of the features you mention such as mouse-clickable scrolling, etc.

 

Luther

-----Original Message-----
From: boothm@earth.goddard.edu <boothm@earth.goddard.edu>
To: MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com <MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com>
Date: Saturday, 30 October 1999 8:00
Subject: Re: AS/400 vs. NT

Absolutely.  Agreed.  GUI has its place, and the place is substantial.

But so there's plenty of room for green screen.  My original comments are that green screen doeasn't have to be as bad as it has been.  There are tools to make green screen behave better.  Mouseable scroll bars on subfiles.  Radio buttons for selections.  Push buttons.

But we should remember that most GUI requires a fairly expensive work station and that there are lots and lots of places that a terminal will do all that needs doing.  Easier maintenance, easier installations, easier training, better discipline  (no solitare!) and other reasons.  For the shops that want terminals and aren't looking to having one technician per 18 work stations, then green screen makes sense.   We need to offer these users new techniques and best-of-class offerings.