RE: The "greying of Common" Is it still true?

        I'd like to interject some crazy, radical, and very nutty suggestions 
about
how to make Common an Oxy-5/testosterone/youth festival; how about IBM
convert the AS400 from a "pure business/e-business solution" to Media-server
extraordinaire? After all, there's the stuff about the new OS releases
supporting BLOBs, Web, e-blahblah, etc.
        Make the AS400 the UltraMediaServer of choice for the
ISPs/ASPs/e-mediaCorporations. If IBM can make the standard AS400 to be sold
a multiprocessor system and have it run LPARs that can support UNIX, Linux,
and NT under the AS400 covers, pump up the combined hardware bandwith and
horsepower to support the high-demand video, audio, and network data
throughput. Build models that will support 500 users simultaneously running,
say, HalfLife games. Then build models that will scale to 1000s at a time.
Sell them at a competitive cost against existing "gaming" boxes.
        Sell a stripped down "workstation" version that has, say a dual 
processor
with LPARs and GUI the desktop interfaces but make it run faster than 1Ghz
in "appearance". Make it with hotswap OS ports where if the OS needs to be
replaced, the user just swaps the OS drives in and out. Sell the hotswap
with a refund return so the user is responsible for returning the OS drive.
Mount the LIC portion on as firmware and make that hotswappable as well.
Make the LIC a store swap item. Make the OS a non business version. Make it
a tiny little thing to fit on the back of some 19"-21" flat screen displays.
Have it's backup functions as easy to manage as the current AS400 os. Give a
PalmPilot interface.
        Give away the "workstation" OS at a good price along with some advanced
development tools (GUI) and no real business type apps, maybe a 400 flavored
version of StarOffice, and nice printing, faxing, email client functions.
Sell some inexpensive tutorial programming type software with it. Turn this
system into the future real PC not a crappy Network Appliance like the
current PC is becoming.
        Then IBM should buy a few good gaming companies (or license their 
software
to run on OS400) and modify those games to have twice the goodies and
"gaming" qualities that they currently have. Use the best games of the last
2-4 years of Top 100 PC/Playstation/Sega/Nintendo games lists to convert.
Build the games so the "workstation" version resembles the original version
+ some added levels/functions. Build the "networked" versions to have the
"Ultra" pack that supports say : Gaming chairs with multi-io gaming inputs
for "steering, turning, jumping, climbing, audio input, specialized video
support and virtual IO etc. at the network level".
        Establish a some IBM Gaming Zones all over the US (major Metropolitan 
and
suburban areas) staffed by 18-25 year olds. Build them next to or inside of
colleges/universities; put a kiosk in with the "workstation" model for sale.
Sell the schools and students the "workstation" version at 25-50% off of,
say $6-7500. Find communities with high kid populations and high disposable
incomes, put in an IBM Gaming Zone there as well. Have a IBM Global
High-School sales coordinator hit the high schools up for a small 400 that
supports basic programming and administration training for the students in,
NT, Linux, Unix, OS400, etc. Give them a cheap Win32 Network Station client
to use the 400 and its servers.
        Then work on the next "AS400" hardware release which should have a 640 
bit
optical multiprocessor with 1280 bit optical data paths and make it as easy
to upgrade from the UltraMediaServer model as it is to upgrade from V4R3 to
V4R4 (at least it was for me).

B Shaw
Sorry about all the blathering...just some wishful ponderings
not greying yet and not yet in mid-life crisis (I hope:))


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-midrange-l@midrange.com
[mailto:owner-midrange-l@midrange.com]On Behalf Of John P Carr
Sent: Tuesday, April 04, 2000 4:39 PM
To: MIDRANGE-L
Subject: Re: The "greying of Common" Is it still true?



If anyone would like a copy of that Provocative(<G>) open letter to COMMON I
wrote
called "The Greying of COMMON" let me know and I will send it or post it.

I wrote it a couple of years ago and the suggestions I wrote about are still

valid.

John Carr
(A little grey himself)

\---------------------------------
This week was the 10th Annual Northeast User Group's two day conference.
The conference was wall-to-wall AS/400.  We sold out the hotel for both
nights.

In one session there was a panel with the top AS/400 people around, Craig
Pelkey, Al Barsa, Roger Pence, Wayne Evans, and Peter Martin.  One
question dealt with the cliche about the failure of the AS/400 community
to attract young people.  Everyone somberly nodded their head in
agreement.  Except me.  I looked around the room and saw under-30 people
everywhere, including Peter Martin who can't be over 22.

So, my question:  Has the situation changed? Are there young people in
your shop? Is the AS/400 going the way of the Shaker villages?

_______________________
Booth Martin

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