Edward E. Jaffe wrote:
[...]
IBM is dropping standard support for Warp 4 and Warp Server for
eBusiness (aka Warp 5). Support contracts are always available. No
doubt any embedded systems that use OS/2 will engage IBM support via
special contract. In the case of mainframe peripherals and attached
devices, it's IBM paying IBM. Just shuffling money around.
Not so simple. IBM delivers PCs with OS/2. These are "regular' PC's,
so year after year (month?) they have larger disk, new interfaces
(USB, AGP, PCI-X to nam a few), new graphic cards etc. All that staff
requires new device drivers, sometimes code debugging (or extending),
etc. It is also possible to detect bug which must be fixed. It HAVE TO
BE MAINTAINED.It is a cost, IMHO big cost. When no money is earned,
with except of "internal income" it becomes a problem.
Money shuffling around is inside of IBM, but as an effect WE PAY THIS
money when buying new z/Series equipment. The more exotic (less copies
sold in the world) system, the more expensive it is.
I'm not sure what your point is here. And, why are you shouting? There
is absolutely no need for panic.
Ho, I'm sorry. My intention was to "underscore", not to shout.
There will likely be thousands of support contracts for OS/2 established
to cover all of the non-mainframe embedded systems as well as all of the
servers still running in enterprises large and small throughout the
world. (FWIW, we still run OS/2 servers here. The costs to migrate
outweigh the support costs -- so far.) That revenue will be
self-sustaining, at least in the short run.
Yes, *short* run. And the run is near the finish.
I'm definitely in no panic (panic mode is off by default <g>), but even
IBM migrates their own OS/2-based devices. I learned OS/2, I can learn
another system, especially unix-like. The only thing I'm worry (or:
don't like) is quality. I saw blue-screens on ATMs (these modern), it is
a shame for ATM company or manufacturer, I don't care. However when
using solutions like PC station for ESS Shark I feel pain. 16 colours on
super-duper video card, speed of 386SX on Pentium4HT, non-intuitive
interface, etc.
--
Radoslaw Skorupka
Lodz, Poland
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