Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!aplcen!haven!mimsy!mojo!SYSMGR@KING.ENG.UMD.EDU
From: sysmgr@KING.ENG.UMD.EDU (Doug Mohney)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: IBM RISC System/6000  AS/400 (actually a diversion on the topic)
Message-ID: <00933154.7F943660@KING.ENG.UMD.EDU>
Date: 2 Mar 90 19:47:36 GMT
References: <20714@cfctech.cfc.com> <1990Feb28.042949.21952@edm.uucp> <0093307E.0B7FBDC0@KING.ENG.UMD.EDU>,<1586@zipeecs.umich.edu>
Sender: news@eng.umd.edu (The News System)
Reply-To: sysmgr@KING.ENG.UMD.EDU (Doug Mohney)
Organization: The U. of MD, CP, CAD lab
Lines: 31

>Just what is the installed software base on the as/400?  Thats a reasonably
>new machine, isn't it.  We are not talking decades here.

AS/400 runs System/370 code or System/36 code or something which was
previously supposed to be the ballpark of one of IBMs Other Machines, as
well as have some unique applications all its own.

>Yep, we've had one here on our 600 for some time now.  Not that I'd ever
>want to use it.  Don't think anybody else has either....

Yes, I saw that they do actually have COBOL (eek!) for the 6000 series. 
Pretty perverted, actually...Businesses will actaully love it when you
get something like dBase on it. 

>
>>Why should you
>>stick with VAX VMS, even tho' you get more bang for the buck out of a 
>>DEC station?
>>
>>				Doug
>
>Because VMS has had people writing code for it for a long time.  Because
>people have been using VMS for a long time.  Because businesses have been
>buying VMS stuff for a long time.  The same is true of UNIX.

Yes, but how long are you going to continue to pay for VMS, get SCREWED by
Digital on VMS licensing agreements, and pay for boxes which are two to three
times slower for the same dollar amount? 

Not to mention peripherials which cost significantly more than what you can
find in an "open" systems such as Suns.