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I imagine that if IBM released an RPG compiler for Linux, or ported VARPG, that they'd charge for it. Probably a significant amount. Do you think that theres a large enough market to warrant the cost to IBM? It seems to me that unless you were converting a system from OS/400 to Linux, an RPG compiler would not be worth the cost. Much easier/cheaper to use the existing Linux compilers. And porting an application suite from OS/400 to Linux would be a LOT of work, even with an RPG compiler. So, frankly, I don't really think this is going to happen. Maybe you should get involved in the Eraserhead RPG project instead. An open source compiler for Linux is a completely different animal. Of course, from experience with Jay 'Eraserhead' Felice, it'll probably never be completed :) On Thu, 21 Feb 2002, James Rich wrote: > On Thu, 21 Feb 2002, Leif Svalgaard wrote: > > > From: James Rich <james@eaerich.com> > > > I can think of some very good reasons. Suppose that linux and OS/400 can > > > be made to be about equally reliable (my experience is that they are when > > > using suitable hardware). Many smaller businesses cannot afford an > > > iSeries. But linux is within their reach > > > > alternatively, IBM could lower the price of small baby iSeries to > > make them competitive. > > True, though I wonder how far IBM can really lower the price. A very good > and reliable linux server can be run on the Intel platform. Let's assume > that the same disks, network, and disk controllers can be used on both an > Intel platform and the iSeries platform (unlikely since I keep hearing > about IOPs that are in hardware on the iSeries). Because of the high > volume of Intel platform motherboards and CPUs, an Intel system will cost > less that an iSeries system. So based only on hardware, IBM can't produce > an iSeries that will be competitive with an Intel based system. This is > simply because there isn't as high a volume of PowerPC fabs as there are > x86 fabs. > > When considering software, it is hard to beat a $5-$90 CD with your > favorite linux distribution on it. It is even harder to beat a free > download. IBM needs to charge significant dollars for the OS to make back > on their investment - otherwise they will just dump it as any investor > would. IBM can only lower the price so far - Miscrosoft ain't giving away > their OS for free and IBM isn't about to, either. > > So if competitive means 'similarly priced' then IBM can't match a well put > together linux system running on the Intel platform. Interesting how > IBM's new eSeries line fits into this. By making linux run on every one > of their machines IBM guarantees that they *will* be able to compete at > every hardware price level. > > But people don't (so the saying goes) by hardware platforms and operating > systems, they buy applications. If there were an RPG compiler for linux > then our applications would also run at every hardware price level, thanks > to IBM. I don't want to sell people an iSeries, I want to sell them my > application. Of course, since my application is written in RPG then an > iSeries is a prerequisite, but it need not be. > > Besides, I would love to see my apps run on some really big iron from Sun > - I can see it now, "Tired of running climate simulations? How about some > heads-down data entry!" :^) > > James Rich > james@eaerich.com >
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