-----Original Message----- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of David Day Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2007 1:03 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: IBM to the PCM market(the sky is falling!!!the sky is falling!!)
Go back and look at your pops manuals for the last 10 years or so. Note the new instructions from one release to another. Those instructions were added to facilitate functionality that was incorporated into one or more pieces of software that IBM markets. If IBM is in control of the hardware that it's software runs on, than it is in IBM's own interest to continue to enhance the functionality of that hardware. If IBM's software executes on non-IBM hardware, then it is subject to the limitations of that hardware. Someone else is driving the train. <SNIP> First, the driver of the train is the Operating System. Since no one writes a seriously competing O/S to IBM (that I'm currently aware of) for the 390 architecture or Z, IBM is still firmly in the driver's seat. [Don't start with Linux, it just doesn't stack up against VM, VSE, TPF, or z/OS] Which is why the "undocumented" instructions were licensed to AMDAHL under what was then called TIDA (Technical Information Disclosure Agreement). AND, in the EU, as I recall, IBM had to disclose their interfaces at an office (location I can't remember) where competing companies with an office in the EU could view those documents. And so IBM was still driving the train, because all those PCMs had to make their hardware such that it behaved as IBM's SCPs (System Control Programs, or Operating Systems) expected. And in AMDAHL's case, there was COMET maintenance (I think that's how it was spelled) that was put on "MVS" so that it would not have a problem with AMDAHL's CPUIDs, and certain instruction speeds. But in any case, the PCMs had come up with certain ways of doing things that IBM needed to license from them, and obviously vice versa. Unlike the USofA, the EU may take a very dim view of IBM's current behaviors, and we may be right back where we were, which may allow certain companies to move their HQs to the EU. And then, PCMs may be making z/ARCH machines to compete with IBM again. But it is my contention that the new PCMs will be bottom to mid-level competitors. It will be a bit difficult to get to the top end where AMDAHL, HDS, and the others were in the mid-90s. Later, Steve Thompson ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
