Re: giving an iSeries system to each college

*Peter Dow* /
Dow Software Services, Inc.
909 793-9050
pdow@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:pdow@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> /

albartell wrote:

AFAIK, no one needs to spend a bunch of money to gain experience on our

platform.

IMO there is a big difference between $15/month with next to zero admin
abilities (big bummer) vs. having a virtual loaner for non-ISV types.
Remember, we are talking about college kids, and you can buy a lot of Ramen
noodles with $15.  But even more so $15/month is just something that
encourages them to try PHP or RoR or .NET instead.

Aaron Bartell

-----Original Message-----
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Tom Liotta
Michael Ryan wrote:

The total cost for all the software for learning and developing LAMP solutions is...minor drumroll...$0 USD. Sure...it's easier to fork over some bucks and get stuff on a CD, but you don't have to. And a cheap Intel box...probably have one lying around someplace.

Wouldn't it be cool if there was a way, like Aaron suggested for the loaner program, to get people involved in i5 stuff?

I like the loaner/virtual access as an alternative to acquiring a system.
And there are various timeshare possibilities that have existed for years...
e.g., [ http://www.rikascom.net/iseries.htm ] which has a limited "free"
account available in addition to paid.

AFAIK, no one needs to spend a bunch of money to gain experience on our
platform. The Info Centers provide plenty of documentation and other areas
of IBM web sites can add a lot (when you can find them).