RE: interesting /. story on RPG

Patrick,

I'm not sure I understand your reasoning below.  IBM probably has more
Windows consultants than Microsoft, Dell, or anyone else.  They play
very well in the Windows space.  Why would Linux give them an advantage?
Wouldn't those same customers still stick with Dell or Compaq?

Regards,
Andy Nolen-Parkhouse

> My thinking is that when customers leave the AS/400 they typically go
to
> NT
> on a non-IBM platform (usually Dell if industry statistics are
correct). A
> double whammy: non-IBM and proprietary. If it were easy to run AS/400
> applications on Linux IBM would have an opportunity to sell IBM
servers
> and
> the customer would go to an open operating system where IBM has a
better
> chance to play. And when those customers outgrow the Dell the iSeries
will
> be waiting to bring them back into the fold.
>
> People who like the AS/400 aren't going to leave it. I see this as a
way
> for
> IBM to stem the flow of companies to NT/Dell/Compaq.
>
> Patrick