Right, DEC-COMPAC-HP, cannot even GIVE the VMS platform and software away today.... I did DEC for 5+ years, and hated it .. Compared to IBM DEC is a PC on drugs......
ken
On Monday 02 December 2002 07:17 pm, you wrote: > On Mon, 2 Dec 2002 13:29, you wrote: > > For me, too. Personally I think we should persuade IBM to actually > > assist the hobby computer market, by providing releases of, say, VM, > > that have been removed from the normal sales channels. It would be > > provided on a, pay for the distribution media, but don't bother us for > > service, and support. But I might be leaving myself open to a complaint > > from Jim Elliot for shooting my mouth, or writing talents off, without > > thinking here, so don't quote me in context. > > I would be delighted to have access to the latest unsupported software. MVS > 3.8 is a bit old for me to find attactive. I can run it, but so what? MVS > 3.8 skills probably aren't very useful now, and the available compilers > were obsolete when I used MVS 3.8 in a former life. If I use the PL/1 F > compiler I suspect the code won't even compile with current PL/1 compilers > - I recall an incompatibilty between PL/1-F and the optimising compiler > back then. > > Grant access to early OS/390 (I'm guessing there are some now not > supported), compilers for Pl/1 and COBOL, CICS and DB2 (plus fixes all > round) in similar terms that apply to the download versions of DB2. > > Worried about "piracy?" One or more mods to ensure it will _only_ run on > Hercules - I'm sure Jay would implement an appropriate diagnose or some > such, or even just insist the model be 3168. > > Maybe, a self-help forum at news.software.ibm.com where IBM folk could help > out a bit and get feedback. Well, the DEC-now-Compaq-now-Hewlett Packard OpenVMS hobbyist outfit certainly isn't making them lose their hair, and it's making them friends. They even release the source code on CD. All that is needed is a commitment to supporting the hobbyists with Out-of-Print documentation and some End-of-Support OSes, with perhaps a free hobbyist membership in something like SHARE a la the free membership in DECUS, minus the "Commercial" support side of things, and I have no doubt IBM will find itself with more up-and-coming MF sys-admins etc than they thought could exist. Certainly more than Harry Singh considered possible in his "Unix for MVS Programmers" book. Just my $0.02. Wesley Parish -- Mau e ki, "He aha te mea nui?" You ask, "What is the most important thing?" Maku e ki, "He tangata, he tangata, he tangata." I reply, "It is people, it is people, it is people."
