Re: Free OS/400

Well, I don't know if Msoft makes more on every sale, but each copy of OS/2
does include one license for Windows 3.1. IBM does need to pay for that as
an OEM.
http://www-4.ibm.com/software/os/warp/ will let you buy OS/2 Warp 4. (click
on How to buy)

Unfortunately, the problem with buying OS/2 these days is that IBM no longer
supports it for upgrading applications. They continue to support it because
of the many corporate users, but the don't support it with new product
releases. They do still add new features to it, by the way, but more in line
with getting it to support connections to other software. OS/2 is really
good at that.

Sure, it would cost another couple billion to make a run at that market
again, but I think it would be worth it. I don't really like Linux as much.
But, if IBM were to kick the support into Linux, and make a run at the
desktop market with that OS it would be interesting. But I really think that
in order to have a chance at it Linux would need to support 32bit Windows
apps as well as Win2000 does. People still like fat clients and want their
own super power, feature loaded desktop.

----- Original Message -----
From: <Jon.Paris@hal.it>
To: <MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com>
Sent: Saturday, June 30, 2001 10:21 AM
Subject: Re: Free OS/400


>
>  >> However we are talking about the company that brought us OS/2 and then
> dropped it like an old toy without a fight even while it was much superior
> to anything on the market.
>
> I have to believe that a significant part of the reasoning behind dropping
> OS/2 (In fact it may still be available - I seem to recall I read about a
> major sale a few months ago) had to do with the fact that MS made more $
> for every copy of OS/2 that was sold than IBM did.  That is not the case
> with OS/400.
>
> I just hope that if and when IBM decide to blow off OS/400 they will at
> least offer it for sale - I suspect that some of the employees in
Rochester
> would be interested in buying!
>
> I don't see 2003 as the deadline, although from recent comments from Lou
> and others, you have to believe that IBM increasingly sees itself as a
> services company.  Hmmmm - having met a few Global Services managers in my
> time maybe it is time to sell  my IBM shares!
>
> Jon Paris
> Jon.Paris@e400.com
>
> www.e400.com - A new wave of iSeries and AS/400 Education
>
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