Re: What the heck is this AS/400 thing?? -- MIDRANGE-NONTECH

Good answer.

>>> MacWheel99@aol.com 12/11/01 01:04AM >>>
First off, if what you need is one user one desk top, then a PC makes more
sense than an AS/400.

If you need a network of users, that has good security, low operating costs,
high reliability, almost never needs to be rebooted, keeps running for years
without a hassle, install latest OS versions without hassling end users, and
so forth & so on, then a PC is not your first choice.

The wrong question is being asked.

Asking why use a 400 when a PC will do the job of computing.

It is like asking why have a truck when a car will do the job of
transportation.

If you want transportation of ONE PERSON, then you have a personal automobile
or a motorcycle or bicycle or horse, depending on the person life style &
whether live in big city, small city or rural.

If you have family needing transportation then you get a station wagon or a
van.

If you moving household to a new address, you rent a Ryder truck or something
larger.

If you making deliveries for your company, it is highly unlikely your choice
is same as that of transportation for the one person.

If you need vehicle to transport material you used to dig up landscape for
new highway, that is not the same logical choice as personal vehicle.

In transportation, we can select the vehicle that is best for the task at
hand.
A pipeline, ocean liner, aircraft, railroad flat car, or tricycle.

In computing, we can select the vehicle that is best for the task at hand.
A general purpose digital computer, an analog computer, a super computer, or
whatever.  The 400 & a PC are two choices among many.  Some people get what
is familiar & comfortable for them, so we end up with people who use an Apple
Macintosh, or love Unix.

Say to your friends:

Suppose your business is that of the phone company.
Can you run your business using a telephone only, or do you need some kind of
network that is able to know what the phone # connection is at each of the
places where a customer is connected to the phone lines ... you cannot be a
phone company with just one telephone, you need the lines & you need some
kind of a network.

Well the PC is to the AS/400
what one telephone is to the network of phone #s.

MacWheel99@aol.com (Alister Wm Macintyre) (Al Mac)
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