Re: 64 bit Windows... -- MIDRANGE-L

Joe

The trouble is that you are preaching to the choir. We all understand what 64 bits means and the benefits, but the world out there does not, and they won't do until MS tells them that 64 bit is what they need. Then there will be further press articles about how Windows 64 is the first mainstream 64 bit operating system. IBM should have told the world about 64 bits 10 years ago, but they did not.

On the basis of Windows releases so far, we, on Midrange, may assume that any 64 bit Windows OS will fall over continually, and require continuous support. Even if we are right, it won't matter, because a great many Windows users have only used PCs and their operating systems that fall over continually. But they believe that that is how computing is. Try and tell them that, on an iSeries, no rogue program can bring down the whole system, and that an iSeries is rebooted very rarely, they just don't believe you. If you do manage to get their attention, and they find out the base price of an iSeries, and compare that with a cheap Wintel server, you have then lost them. After all, they know all there is to know, have lots of experience and I (and probably quite a few others on this list) are just old folks who are years behind the times. I am talking here not just about end users, but IT staff that I have met who have perhaps 15 years experience. Microsoft is the world's best (or only to many people?) software company. They are very successful - if their products were rubbish, they would not be so successful, would they?

We know better, but we cannot put the world to rights, even though we keep on trying. In my view, only IBM can solve the problem by starting to market iSeries, 64 bits, etc., to the world at large. They would still believe IBM. But IBM has never done this, and despite recent flurries of activity, seems unlikely to start now. They seem more interested in selling services and consultancy rather than systems that don't need these.

Skype VOIP software is apparently being downloaded by 155,000 users a day - quite an extraordinary take up for a fairly new product that is not marketed.

Perhaps IBM could learn from this. They could produce the often discussed low price iSeries in an Thinkpad case. We know that they can do it. I am sure that this would sell and it would spread the word. Ordinary users and their IT staff would get the opportunity to use an iSeries - at present most never come across one. Of course, they woulnd't sell Skype quantities - Skype is free, but I am sure that the numbers would be significant.

So, rather than spending time debating, shouldn't we be trying to kick IBM? Trouble is how do we do it?

Rob