Re: Free OS/400

You know, it is really stuff like this that rankles me.

OS/2 was a strategic product. In fact, the success of OS/2 was linked to the
success of the AS/400. IBM knew that a part of Microsoft's success was their
ability to tie Windows desktops to Windows servers. IBM needed a desktop
operating system that it could use to provide the same level of synergy
between its servers and desktops, and intended for that to be OS/2. Of
course, since IBM was under the consent decree stemming from its own
anti-trust case, it was not allowed to bundle OS/2 with hardware.

But right here, for years, when I was an OS/2 user, I used to see many posts
telling IBM to "give it up" and ditch OS/2. Every year, year after year, the
pros from this list predicted "this will be the year when IBM stops
supporting OS/2." Now, OS/2 is still supported, but IBM surely did give up
the ghost. The whole set of economics around this takes up more room than I
want to give here.

Now, I've seen a handful of messages about IBM "abandoning" its customers
over this! How long can you reasonably expect IBM, or any vendor to dump
money into a product YOU are not willing to buy? OS/2 was an incredible
product. I'm running Win98 right now, and I know it certainly never caught
up with OS/2. Perhaps some other version did. But it takes MONEY to keep
that going. If the money isn't coming in, why should the vendor keep selling
the product?

Or OfficeVision? How long is IBM supposed to enhance a product that people
won't buy? Look at the steps that IBM has taken to try to provide solutions
in these markets. IBM bought Lotus and made them keep developing OS/2
versions of their software, for gosh sake! Dumping money into the platform
to provide solutions in hopes that they could sell the OS. Through the base
of Lotus IBM has provided alternatives to many green screen, dead apps.
Trying to give an alternative to Microsoft products.

But which banner should IBM carry into the future? Notes or OfficeVision?
What is going to sell more AS/400s in the future, green screens or web
sites?

----- Original Message -----
From: "R. Bruce Hoffman, Jr." <rbruceh@attglobal.net>
To: <MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com>
Sent: Friday, June 29, 2001 10:40 AM
Subject: Re: Free OS/400


>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: mcrump@sgcontainers.com <mcrump@sgcontainers.com>
> To: MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com <MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com>
> Date: Friday, June 29, 2001 12:23 PM
> Subject: RE: Free OS/400


> Uhhh.. you know quotes are nice but, again, remember when quotable IBM'ers
> stated that OS/2 was *S*T*A*T*E*G*I*C* ????
>
> perhaps there is an IBM dictionary somewhere that state what they really
> meant, but if IBM can see STATEGIC as 1 to 2 years, then they can quote
> anybody on anything and it will have the same meaning that it had in the
> past...
>
> NADA, ZIP, ZILCH, ZERO....
>
> me... I'm buying a backhoe....
>
>
> ===========================================================
> R. Bruce Hoffman, Jr.
>  -- IBM Certified Specialist - AS/400 Administrator
>  -- IBM Certified Specialist - RPG IV Developer

Chris Rehm
javadisciple@earthlink.net
If you believe that the best technology wins the
marketplace, you haven't been paying attention.


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