Re: Midrange Computing is liquidating.

Well, I knew it was. The comment was a little sarcasm that you obviously
missed. Like if I had said, "Gee, I must have missed your posts where you
mentioned that MC was going to fold."

I had written a post to you about how it might be a mistake to interpret a
handful of events as global signs of doom, but trashed it in favor of the
short comment.

Leif, I've paid close attention to the AS/400 market for many years. I've
often discussed the future pitfalls and problems that the IBM midrange
market faces. I don't have any idea how you could tell me I've been in
denial unless you are completely unaware of how I've felt about the market.

But, you obviously are completely unaware. So I will tell you that I've
noticed that the iSeries future has to address the marketplace differently
than the AS/400 past if it will survive, let alone become the staple that it
should be. I don't want to go over and over all the things I've spouted here
before about the need to address the current market.

Maybe the AS/400 really hasn't got a place in the market any more. I have
discussed the directions that could save this machine in the long run, but
that certainly doesn't seem to be the direction people in this market are
going.

I know that there is all the iSeries Nation stuff and there are wonderful
utilities for developing _any_ type of application for the AS/400, but these
things aren't being used. Buyers don't (and shouldn't) care about the
platform they are buying. You can't be sentimental about it. For decades the
IBM midrange has provided the best in applications for a market that needs
features and reliability and scalability. But other areas are developing new
applications faster. Other areas are increasing their reliability and
scalability.

IBM is trying to find new ways to fit the AS/400 into markets. One very neat
way is as a manager of network servers. I like that idea. But that is a
different direction than the AS/400 of old.

Oh, and if IBM should be very successful with finding new market places and
sell billions more in iSeries servers, that really wouldn't change the
fortunes of MC, would it? Because MC pursued the market as defined by the
old AS/400.

So, pretty much, your "denial" remark was so totally off base as to not even
be in the right ballpark, because your assumptions that the survival/death
of that magazine must surely be a portent of the future of the AS/400 is
also wrong.

But I didn't really want to go into all that when it seemed like you might
just be making a little light hearted remark.

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


----- Original Message -----
From: "Leif Svalgaard" <leif@leif.org>
To: <MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com>
Sent: Friday, July 27, 2001 11:01 AM
Subject: Re: Midrange Computing is liquidating.


> the not paying attention was just a take-off on your signature.
> no need to be sorry.
> and lots of other (most?) people are also in denial.
> the good news is that IBM apparently foresee a
> slow demise of the platform. Extrapolating their own
> figures show a 1.5% decline per year. since the
> fraction of IBM's revenue resulting from the AS/400 now
> stands at about 10%, you can do the arithmetic.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Chris Rehm <javadisciple@earthlink.net>
> To: <MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com>
> Sent: Friday, July 27, 2001 12:27 PM
> Subject: Re: Midrange Computing is liquidating.
>
>
> > That so? So everyone else here has been expecting this but I was in
denial?
> > Wow, sorry.
> >
> > Chris Rehm
> > javadisciple@earthlink.net
> > If you believe that the best technology wins the
> > marketplace, you haven't been paying attention.
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Leif Svalgaard" <leif@leif.org>
> > To: <MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com>
> > Sent: Friday, July 27, 2001 9:04 AM
> > Subject: Re: Midrange Computing is liquidating.
> >
> >
> > > maybe you just haven't been paying attention?
> > > It is called denial...
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: Chris Rehm <javadisciple@earthlink.net>
> > > To: <MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com>
> > > Sent: Friday, July 27, 2001 10:37 AM
> > > Subject: Re: Midrange Computing is liquidating.
> > >
> > >
> > > > Well, I'm not sure it is all doom and gloom, but I know it isn't a
> > > > _positive_ sign.
> > > >
> > > > I think it mostly says that the market for AS/400 specific
technologies
> > is
> > > > getting smaller. Which would mean, I suppose, that if the iSeries is
to
> > > > survive it needs to compete in more popular marketplaces.
> > > >
> > > > But what it really says to me is that the market is much further
along
> > that
> > > > road than I thought. I am very sorry to hear that! It caught me off
> > guard,
> > > I
> > > > guess I thought I'd have heard more speculation about such an event
> > before
> > > > it happened.
> > > >
> > > > Chris Rehm
> > > > javadisciple@earthlink.net
> > > > If you believe that the best technology wins the
> > > > marketplace, you haven't been paying attention.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > From: "Don" <dr2@cssas400.com>
> > > > To: <MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com>
> > > > Sent: Friday, July 27, 2001 7:35 AM
> > > > Subject: Re: Midrange Computing is liquidating.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > UH, What do you THINK is says?! :)
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > At 09:17 PM 7/26/2001 -0700, you wrote:
> > > > > >I've got to say, Don, this blows my mind. Unreal. What does that
say
> > > > about
> > > > > >the state of the market?
> > > > > >
> > > > > >----- Original Message -----
> > > > > >From: "Don" <dr2@cssas400.com>
> > > > > >To: <Undisclosed recipients:>
> > > > > >Sent: Thursday, July 26, 2001 3:49 PM
> > > > > >Subject: Midrange Computing is liquidating.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I just recieved a call from Shawnna Allison at Midrange
> Computing.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > The company is folding.  They told the employees that today is
> > their
> > > > last
> > > > > > > day.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > This is a bit of a shock.....
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Don in DC
> > > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > >
> >
> >
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