Thomas Berg writes:
>Really ? Is there any "reference" installation that has
>PCOMM installed at 64-bit windows and also use it ?
>(Wondering because I have heard a lot about problems
>to getting software to work on 64-bit windows.)
I'm not sure about 64-bit reference installations specifically, although
perhaps the PComm support team would know if there's anybody who's willing
to say they do publicly.
In the PComm documentation IBM states that 64-bit Windows is only
officially supported for TCP/IP (i.e. TN3270/TN3270E) connections. Most of
the problems with 64-bit Windows tend to center around device drivers, so
that's why IBM makes that statement at least for now.
>Sounds fine. But my current needs/wonderings is:
>1. What practical enhancements of version 5.9 is
>significantly benefitting me ? (Compared to ver 4.1)
There's going to be a long list of features added since Version 4.1. I
don't think IBM skipped all that many numbers in between. There are at
least a couple ways you can get a list:
1. In the product documentation for each new version there's a list of new
features ("What's New?").
2. If you look at the IBM announcement letter for each new version, lately
under "Host Access Client Package," it will summarize the new features --
or at least what product marketing thinks are the most important.
Neither list (especially #2) will be totally exhaustive, but they'll cover
the big stuff.
One thing that will certainly be true is that there will be various bug
fixes to address new versions of Windows. Yes, PComm has changed over the
years just because some new version of Windows or some Windows patch broke
something.
One new feature that I don't think is in 4.1 is my idea: making anything in
the 3270 screen that looks like a Web link or e-mail address into a
clickable hotspot. (You can disable this feature if you don't like it, but
it's on by default.) It started in HOD and then migrated over to PComm, I
believe. You can thank/blame me for that feature idea.
Everybody is going to be different as to what their favorite new feature
is. Yet another feature people seem to like is having nice FTP support
available both separately and integrated with your 3270 session. FTP tends
to be a lot faster than IND$FILE. And the security is quite dramatically
improved since your 4.1 version. My guess is 4.1 didn't support TN3270E
SSL/TLS encryption, and I think almost everybody should have that turned on
given the sort of information flowing to/from your mainframe.
Another thing that got added in the past version or two is support for
arbitrary screen sizes, beyond Mod5. A lot of people asked for that, and
it should be in there now.
And there's undoubtedly 100+ other new things since 4.1, many probably even
more important.
>2. Are there any solution to my original question ?
>Which was:
>You can swap between different PCOM-windows (each
>with a session against a host) with a "hot key" - if You
>have defined the key as "Jump next" etc.
>But this doesn't work if a PCOM-macro is currently executing
>in the window I have in focus. (I have to wait until the
>macro has finished.)
>Could I change this in any way ? (I can of course change
>window with alt+tab but then I have to go through all
>other PC-applications I have active at that moment.)
I'm not sure, but I do know of one related improvement. Macros just might
run faster.
One thing that certainly changed is that PComm (in 5.9 and maybe one or so
versions back) will now negotiate TN3270E Contention Resolution if your
host supports it. CR support was added around z/OS 1.3 or 1.4, I believe,
although you might need a PTF for 1.5 and prior so that it works correctly.
What CR does is establish a tighter "handshake" between client and host,
and you may find that your macros run faster. Pre-CR it was tough to make
macros work reliably because the protocol didn't always actually let the
client know when the true end of transmission was reached. So macro
engines had embedded in them fixed waits, maybe 500 or 1000 ms per screen
by default. CR now provides the proper signalling, something that SNA
links have always had.
I'm not sure about the PComm documentation, but there's a section in the
WebSphere HATS (Host Access Transformation Services) V6 InfoCenter
documentation that talks about Contention Resolution. I wrote a fair
amount of that section. Hopefully it's useful reading. I probably explain
it better there because I've forgotten some details.
Radoslaw Skorupka writes:
>You saw some webpage addressed for U.S. I'm
>in Poland, EU, Thomas is in Sweden, EU.
>My price information comes from real invoice,
>although I can't remember it was $250 or 350.
>Both numbers mean "much to much" for me.
You threw me there because you used dollar figures, so that's why I quoted
dollar figures back. As noted in my reply, prices do vary between
countries. There are different taxes, for one thing. Hopefully the
information I provided, particularly the trade-up details, is useful.
I should also mention that IBM sells global licenses. There's no "gray
market" that I know of. A Swede can buy software in South Africa and use
it in Florida. You is still you. Subject to local laws, taxes, import
duties, etc., you can order software from abroad if you wish. I think in
the vast majority of cases IBM has a single global language package,
meaning the CD would contain all the language versions or you'd get to
choose whichever language(s) you wish when you electronically download
software.
- - - - -
Timothy Sipples
IBM Consulting Enterprise Software Architect
Specializing in Software Architectures Related to System z
Based in Tokyo, Serving IBM Japan and IBM Asia-Pacific
E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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