Re: IBM iSeries Advertisements

> What I think a lot of people miss on the subject of IBM vs Microsoft,
> Windows vs OS/2 is that Microsoft puts a lot of effort into the
> programming side of their products.  Microsoft makes great programming
> languages.  Windows is a very programmer friendly OS, Win32 API is
> very well done, COM was great in its day and .NET continues the
> tradition.
Geez, I can't help but disagree here.  If you made an investement in
VB6, you must throw it away to use VB .net.  No upgrade path.  How is
that friendly?  How is that great?  Sorry, I just don't see it.  

And it seems that nearly every version of VB has varying amounts of
extra effort foisted upon those who upgrade.

Also, you say microsoft makes great programming languages.  What
programming languages has microsoft invented?  C and C++?  Nope.  Java?
Nope, they just tried to corrupt it.  VB, ok, it's finally starting to
come around after about ten years, although the syntax generally makes
my eyes bleed. 

C#?  Hmm, too early to tell if this one is 'great'.

They have made some decent IDE's.

Lastly, COM is great?  Is that a troll?

> 
> Visual Basic and COM is what sold Windows. ( just like RPG sold the
> AS400 )   IBM management never competed on this front by producing
> comparable technologies in OS/2.

And for the most part, I agree with you that this is the continuing saga
of IBM.  It's somewhat difficult to get into the programming game with
RPG.  Where is the (nearly free) PC version of i5/OS where one can get
interested in the environment and do some useful learning and perhaps
build some small working systems? 

Microsoft has tools available, often at little cost.  Linux has them in
spades.  iSeries does not, unless you consider Java.  Java is not the
answer(tm).


--
Regards,
Rich

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