Re: Solutions Assessment -- MIDRANGE-L

I'm a software developer *and vendor*.  There's a small market out
there I can't touch with an iSeries solution.  I know how inexpensive
small boxes are and I even have an ASP available but green-screen, in
the mind of many, is associated with DOS-like unsophisticated
applications, the same way I look at a System/36 application.

But the green-screen environment, as stable as it is, doesn't provide
me with the palette I need for more sophisticated designs...and I have
context-sensitive help, strict UI standards, and click-to-sort column
headings on subfiles.  I do a lot with the 5250 data stream but I have
screen size, attribute, and color limitations limiting my ability to
develop better solutions.

The ability to interface to thousands of applications is far better
when working from a PC platform.  Yes, many applications have iSeries
interfaces but many of them are primitive (example: PC*MIler).

Visual Studio isn't perfect but it's light years ahead of WSDCi.  Hey,
IBM: throw out WDSCi and write a Visual Studio snap-it like ASNA.  San
Antonio is much nicer than Rochester or Toronto!

If you're in the iSeries software business with a green-screen
application, here are your choices: go with Java, Websphere, and the
IBM Services group or go with a Microsoft .NET environment.  Now ask
yourself which approach will provide more business and which approach
is focused on software.  The answer in both cases isn't IBM's
solution.

I'm being pulled to serious consideration of Microsoft by virtue of
the size of the customer base, many of whom won't consider iSeries. 
And IBM's pushing me (and other ISV's) away by failing to provide a
practical, integrated iSeries development environment.

That's why I'm doing the Solutions Assessment.  I really want to make
sure I'm not missing the iSeries boat.

There's been a lot of talk in the last few years about what we need on
the iSeries to get it competitive from a development standpoint. 
Let's see if IBM has listened and let's wait for the V5R4
announcement.  I suspect there will be nothing of value.

-reeve

On 1/8/06, Douglas Handy <dhandy@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Steve,
>
> a solutions assessment - that is from IBM?  If so you likely would be
> > steered clear of a lot of great software.
>
>
> But of course, you'd have us believe that one from MS would be completely
> unbiased?
>
> Doug
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