Upgrading required? (Was: Getting legal!)

Hello  Al,

>You didn't have to put V5R1 on.
Is this really so? If it is true, that after the next year change upgrading 
from V4R3 and older OS-releases to V5xxx is not possible any more, then a lot 
of the installed base on those older OS-releases can join the oldtimers club. 
At that time there is not much difference between an AS/400 and a Bugatti, a 
Spijker or a Ford T Model 50.

Even COMMON may suffer a drop in members, as its (new) seminars on the (new) 
features are not interesting for those who cannot upgrade anymore.

>I bet developing it costed more than $.20.
True, but money not well spent. The strength of the AS/400 seems the weakness 
of the iSeries, being called proprietary. What is wrong with that? There was no 
money to enhance DDS, but there was a budget to port Lynux to th iSeries. The 
budget was (I believe) one billion dollar. No money? Please, ..... As if SQL, 
Java and Internet are  the answers.

Should we now all upgrade to V5R2, when it is released, or shall we all (and I 
mean: all) ignore the release, stop upgrading? Advising to do the latter is 
sounding like a Luddite.

Just my two Euro cents.

Regards.
Carel Teijgeler