Hi All, I would really like to discuss this problem with a knowledgable person of IBM headquarters. There must be people understanding these problems, otherwise they wouldn't have opened the mainframe for Linux. The problem is not the box. You can install Hercules on any Intel PC running Win2000 or Linux, and it will run z/VM or z/OS with acceptable speed for a 1 user system just used for development. The problem is the licensing. Especially z/VM is important, because Linux people in that way would become familiar with Linux's MF-hypervisor. I would even give it away for free with a special license for hobbyists if they run it only on a PC, because it must be in IBM's strongest interest to get new young people who are interested and collect knowledge at least about z/VM, and the more people know the details of the operating system, the more is the chance that IBM may sell new mainframes at service providers and get other new MF clients. Assume, if a AWSTAPE image of z/VM could be downloaded from the net: Though this might not help selling hardware for the next few months, I'm pretty sure that would help a lot for the longer term. As you mentioned below, especially at universities that could become an important factor: just download, try and learn! No small developer and nobody who is just interested in the system will ever buy a FLEX/ES laptop with an official license for 13,000 USD. My 2c, Herbert
At 14:29 01.12.2002, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: >It seems like people associated with the traditional IBM >world just can't get it when it comes to a very simple point- >if it costs someone nearly $20K to have the privilege of >doing development on a platform, there is a limited >potential future. > >People can get hold of an Intel box today and >bring up a reasonable development environment >for peanuts. This is impossible with mainframes. >IBM has never demonstrated any commitment of >any kind to develop a reasonable entry level >approach to the mainframe that would capture the >interest of many people. I can't buy an ATX >motherboard form factor mainframe. Heck, >I can't even buy a new mainframe that will just run >on 110V power. > >Until IBM realizes that it needs an entry level >box with reasonable software prices that most >people understand, growth will be at a snail's >pace in the mainframe space for the foreseeable >future. The computer science mafia at the universities >will continue to make idiotic and foolish anti-mainframe >remarks, and yet another generation of students will >be completely clueless about the mainframe world.
