RE: NT vs AS/400 -- MIDRANGE-L

I've always thought that Microsoft has done very well at marketing a
proprietary system as "open".  Microsoft tolerates openness while they're
developing (buying out or copying) the definitive solution, then they knock
off the competition.  They killed WordPerfect by not truly opening their OS
internals until after Word was doing things better.  They wounded Java by
encouraging proprietary extensions.  Palm is enjoying their day in the sun,
but I'd bet that once Windows CE catches up Palm will become a second-class
citizen.

Once comfortable in their environment you're forced to upgrade everything to
stay current with their standards.  Hell, look at the MS Office Suite --
Office 97 was grudgingly backwards compatible with Office 95.  Get ready to
upgrade to XP so that you can continue to exchange documents with everyone
else.

When I meet folks who have contempt for the AS/400's proprietary (not open)
standards, I like to point out the true direction of Microsoft.  VB is
becoming the integrated scripting language for Windows and the Office Suite.
SQL Server is bound to Exchange and soon to be the integrated database for
Windows.  I think the Oracle database will eventually go the way of Netscape
Navigator.  SQL Server will be so tightly bundled into Windows that it's
free (or you've already paid for it).  Gee, an OS with integrated languages
and database, what a concept!  And as SQL Server becomes more tightly bound
into Windows it wouldn't surprise me if it gets to the point where it
requires as little administration as UDB/400.

It will just take five or ten years...

James Damato
Manager - Technical Administration
Dollar General Corporation
<mailto:jdamato@dollargeneral.com>


-----Original Message-----
From: Wills, Mike N. (TC) [mailto:MNWills@taylorcorp.com]
Sent: Monday, June 04, 2001 12:53 PM
To: 'MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com'
Subject: RE: NT vs AS/400


...as long as you don't use Linux, it is cancer you know...

-----Original Message-----
From: John Bussert [mailto:jbussert@stecnet.com]
Sent: Monday, June 04, 2001 12:41 PM
To: 'MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com'
Subject: RE: NT vs AS/400



This may sound funny, but it was not all that long ago when the 400 was
being attacked as a closed system.  Then UNIX vendors push the issue,
then eventually Microsoft and NT did.  I just came back from an XP
presentation by MS and it is VERY clear that they do not want an open
system,  but a single vendor solution.   Microsoft everywhere, desktop,
server, hand help, refrigerator, coffee machine and game box. Hold on, I
feel the walls closing all around.  As long as you where MS blue, you'll
be OK, else, you will be hooked to the wrong vendor and product
(according to MS - that is).  Some strategies keep coming around even
though the vendor changes.

john

John Bussert
jbussert@swiftorder.com
847-289-8339
Swift Technologies, Inc.
www.swiftorder.com
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