Re: Is a used 170 worth it?

[Pete Helgren <Pete@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Ah!  From the expert!  If anyone knows AS/400 hardware it's you Larry.  
Thanks.

The WAG's are OK.  I guess I now contact IBM?  (call support line, I 
guess and let them figure it out).  I can't remember what processor it 
has but I do believe it is a P05 class.  I should have written that 
stuff down before I boxed it up.

Ever heard of anyone running Linux on the IXS (or IPCS)? I know that IBM 
has some drivers/utilities that run in Win2K that allow CD drive / Tape 
sharing, etc, to happen but as I recall the install ran just from the 
plain 'ol  Win2K CD's.  It would be interesting to see if you could 
install Linux, let alone run Linux, on that card.

Thanks for the info.  Not too bad, all in all, at the low end.  And, 
V5R3M0 does have a bit of life left in it (like, 10 years, if my V3R2M0 
box is any indication.....)

Pete


Larry Bolhuis wrote:

> Some answers.
>
> First off the 170 is supported through V5R3 and thats that, running 
> Frankie at V5R3 for over a year now.
> The IXS card will run Win2000 - doing that on Frankie too.
>
> You will want to get to V5R3 too but the cost could be a killer.  If 
> the box is tiny (like about 120 cpw and down) it's a P05 so software 
> isn't so bad. Up through about  300  cpw it a P10, bad.  Above that, 
> whoo boy, that 520 is lookin' mighty fine!
>
>  Sure lots of parts are available, disk memory, LAN/WAN/Twinax etc and 
> for a personal development and testing machine it would be decent.
>
>  So your cost mostly will be getting OS/400 V5R3 (with the mandatory 1 
> year of maintenance ) P05 SWM is $1,200/year   P10 is $4K, P20 -you 
> don't wanna know.  If I understand correctly this is  the only charge 
> because V4R5 comes with the box and you need only to uptick it by 
> paying the charge.  It's possible though that you'll get hit with the 
> penalty for not being current which would be about 1.5 times the 1 
> year charge and would be in addition to the charge to get the license.
>
>  Hopefully that helps some.
>
>    - Larry
>
>
>
> Pete Helgren wrote:
>
> > Sorry for the duplicate post.....I sent the original with the wrong 
> > profile and it may be delayed for "administrative approval"....
> >
> > I have a customer that is willing to give me a used Model 170 (V4R5M0)
> >
> > that is "surplus" to them for the cost of shipping.  Initially I  
> > thought, sure!  But I began to wonder about the cost and the lifespan 
> > of the model.  I have been pretty actively moving to RPG IV and using 
> > Java and other Open Source technologies on the iSeries.  I don't want 
> > to invest in something that will quickly dead-end.
> >
> > Things I was thinking about:  What OS version is supported on the 
> > 170? What would be the cost to purchase the OS and get it on SW 
> > maintenance?  It has an integrated PC server.  What version of OS is 
> > supported in the integrated PC ? (running WinNT right now....)
> >
> > Anyway, I know it has useful life left (given the number of recent 
> > posts about 170's....), but if I want it to be current OS-wise, I 
> > just wonder what the cost would be.  Entry level i5's are 
> > *relatively* cheap and they rock!
> >
> > Any WAG's on what it would cost and what the downside would be?
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Pete Helgren