OS/400 Authorisation Keys

Is IBM a Big Blue snake eating its own tail?



I have (rather foolishly perhaps) purchased an old AS/400 Model 170 to ?play
with? at home, well the price was right!



The system used to be owned by a retail chain here in the UK, and I have
been told by IBM that it used to have V5R4 on it, so they do know about this
system.



As a part of the recycling process the system/disks were initialised; it was
then reloaded with V5R2, with a 70-day temporary key. Rather naively I
thought that it would come with a permanent code.



I have been trying to obtain a permanent key for this little, old AS/400.
The IBM Software Key Support centre say they can?t help, that I need to
contact my IBM Business Partner - yeah right!, or the sales team who sold me
the system - a one-man-company, not meaning to be offensive, but
?tin-merchant?. An IBM Business partner is going to take one look at me, see
no potential revenue ? good-bye Jeff. Mr Tin-man is not set up for this kind
of client support.



I really don?t want to pay IBM?s normal list price for an OS/400 licence on
a system running V5R2, long since gone out of support, and for a system that
will likely only last a couple of years before it has to go to the Big Blue
Computer-Heaven in the Sky.



It is me being unreasonable to expect, and naïve to try, to get something
discounted from IBM, suck in breath ? or the price even waived? I?ve worked
on the AS/400, iSeries, System i and on System/38 before that since 1987. A
little ?thank you? from IBM would be a nice gesture for my small part in the
success of this platform.



Please, I need some inspiration on how to resolve this conundrum. Perhaps a
nice person at IBM will read this posting and give me some advice, or even
help me obtain the permanent code.



P.S. It gets worse though, I actually bought three 170?s, the other two for
friends/colleagues, so we could have our own little network. :|



Regards



Jeff Bull

Technical Manager

NYCO Ltd iSeries & AS/400 Automation Specialists

IBM Certified iSeries Technical Solutions Expert

IBM Certified iSeries System Administration Specialist



Tel: +44(0)118 327 1200

Mbl: +44(0)775 692 3335

VOIP: +44(0)118 328 2272

Email: <mailto:jeff.nyco@xxxxxxx> jeff.nyco@xxxxxxx

Skype: jeff-bull

Website: www.nyco.co.uk



Postal Address: NYCO Limited, Park House, 17 Headley Road, Woodley, Reading,
Berkshire, RG5 4JB, United Kingdom