RE: Thats all folks! -- MIDRANGE-L

Ray,

I've been keeping out of this so far but now have to add my two cents and
then I go back to keeping out of it.  You forgot to include Microsoft's and
Apple's operating systems.  They too are proprietary.

I strongly disagree with the notion of proprietary being the cause of
OS/400's image issue.  The most ubiquitous OS (Windows) in the current world
is proprietary.  It is also, according the press, the most hacked OS in the
world.  At one time IBM was the most ubiquitous purveyor of computers and
related items.  Microsoft beat them at their own game when they realized
software, in particular the OS, was how to dominate the market.  When you
dominate the market you get to set the standard.
This IMHO is why Microsoft is so concerned about Linux and Java and why IBM,
Sun, HP, etc. are pushing them so hard.  Proprietary has nothing to do with
it.  Market domination has everything to do with it.

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-admin@midrange.com
[mailto:midrange-l-admin@midrange.com]On Behalf Of Shahan, Ray
Sent: Wednesday, December 18, 2002 10:42 AM
To: 'midrange-l@midrange.com'
Subject: RE: Thats all folks!


<ahem>, folks, this is the AS400 newbie (18 year hp veteran), and I'd like
to offer a different point. All of you speak of the AS400 in terms of  it's
'better than anything else out there'...let's just clear that up
quickly...it isn't.  The AS400 has some cool stuff, DEC's Alpha has some
cool stuff, hp's MPE/ix has some cool stuff, and UNIX has some cools stuff.
All three of these proprietary OS's have things that they do better than
their competitors, but not one of them reigns supreme overall...I can say
this because I've worked with all three of 'em (a little UNIX too)...but we
can leave it as IMHO.

The most important point about these proprietary OS's is not what one does
better than the other, rather, it's what all 3 have in common...they are
proprietary OS's, and right now, that ain't good in the public eye.

Let me explain, GM tried for years to shake the image of the Oldsmobile
brand as an old fogies car, the slogan was "This is not your fathers'
Oldsmobile".  Try as they may, GM could not get the 'younger' generation to
buy the Oldsmobile brand, and hence, GM is shutting that brand down.
Oldsmobile's problem is our proprietary OS's problem...our OS's are
perceived as old, and not up with the times, and unless something happens to
change that mentality, then OS400 and DEC/VAX Alpha will go the way of the
Oldsmobile along with MPE/ix (which has already been condemned by its owner,
hp).

The true irony in all of this is that UNIX is older than any of the three
proprietatry OS's I've worked with, yet UNIX is perceived as new...HA!!

Last, but by no means least, UNIX (and every other flavor of it) is for the
most part, a free OS, and free is a hard price to compete with.  Free is so
lucrative that it allowed the creation and proliferation of a computer
hardware company that had no OS...Sun Micro Systems (SCO UNIX is still a
flavor of UNIX).

Make no mistake about it, hp's MPE/ix OS is a fantastic OS (and IMAGE is a
fantastic proprietary DB), but hp killed both in favor of hpux running on a
commodity manufactured box...don't think for a minute that IBM isn't
carefully watching hp's results.  Because the success or failure of the
demise of the hp3k, is also the barometer for the future of the AS400.

NOTE: DEC's Alpha is already in the  toaster since hp owns that too.   :-(


Ray Shahan

"Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans", John Lennon

> at http://archive.midrange.com/midrange-l.
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