RE: Cheaper Servers?

["Shields, Ken" <kenshields@xxxxxxx>]

Syd
        Your approach to this whole thread is refreshing.
        Rather than taking a pessimistic 'That can't possibly be done' 
attitude, yours is a view I think more people
        in the IBM world should take.
        With a little ingenuity, IBM could , in fact . become a real competitor 
in the pc world.
        I'm one, who strongly believes that the Mainframe days are numbered, 
and that the sooner IBM pulls up it's sleeves,
        and gets down to the hard work at hand, the better off they'll be.
        Complacency is the biggest enemy.
Thanks
Ken
ps....been to a tech bookstore recently?...seen anything on 390/400, ? made a 
comparison...

-----Original Message-----
From: Dr Syd Nicholson [mailto:sydnic@ccs400.com]
Sent: Friday, April 12, 2002 10:04 AM
To: midrange-l@midrange.com
Subject: Re: Cheaper Servers?



Why should a console be text mode only. Windows does not use text mode
for its functions, and Linux can provide a graphic console display via
its X-Server. Whether an feature requires text mode or GUI depends upon
how it is programmed. For example, in Linux one might use text mode to
edit the hosts file, yet, if the application called ARKEAI is used for
back-ups, a GUI display is vastly preferable.

What I would like to see is a SVGA screen, native to OS/400, with
gaphics provided by some built in OS/400 feature. These graphics could
be a derivative of X, which would make it compatible with many other
systems. For key functions (eg. operating system installs, SAVSYS) it
may be that only text mode is available, but for more advanced functions
when the machine is active it should be graphic. It should run Ops Nav,
have text windows for running commands, run Code/400 etc.

This would create a true stand alone machine, independent of other
operating systems and hardware. Without the Heath-Robinson arrangement
of cables and machines required to obtain a console that we have at
present. In my experience, the only reliable console that the iSeries
has is a Twin-ax device and IBM want to get rid of these.

Syd Nicholson


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