Re: interesting /. story on RPG -- MIDRANGE-L

I imagine that if IBM released an RPG compiler for Linux, or ported VARPG,
that they'd charge for it.  Probably a significant amount.

Do you think that theres a large enough market to warrant the cost to IBM?
It seems to me that unless you were converting a system from OS/400 to
Linux, an RPG compiler would not be worth the cost.   Much easier/cheaper
to use the existing Linux compilers.

And porting an application suite from OS/400 to Linux would be a LOT of
work, even with an RPG compiler.

So, frankly, I don't really think this is going to happen.   Maybe you
should get involved in the Eraserhead RPG project instead.  An open source
compiler for Linux is a completely different animal.

Of course, from experience with Jay 'Eraserhead' Felice, it'll probably
never be completed :)


On Thu, 21 Feb 2002, James Rich wrote:

> On Thu, 21 Feb 2002, Leif Svalgaard wrote:
>
> > From: James Rich <james@eaerich.com>
> > > I can think of some very good reasons.  Suppose that linux and OS/400 can
> > > be made to be about equally reliable (my experience is that they are when
> > > using suitable hardware).  Many smaller businesses cannot afford an
> > > iSeries.  But linux is within their reach
> >
> > alternatively, IBM could lower the price of small baby iSeries to
> > make them competitive.
>
> True, though I wonder how far IBM can really lower the price.  A very good
> and reliable linux server can be run on the Intel platform.  Let's assume
> that the same disks, network, and disk controllers can be used on both an
> Intel platform and the iSeries platform (unlikely since I keep hearing
> about IOPs that are in hardware on the iSeries).  Because of the high
> volume of Intel platform motherboards and CPUs, an Intel system will cost
> less that an iSeries system.  So based only on hardware, IBM can't produce
> an iSeries that will be competitive with an Intel based system.  This is
> simply because there isn't as high a volume of PowerPC fabs as there are
> x86 fabs.
>
> When considering software, it is hard to beat a $5-$90 CD with your
> favorite linux distribution on it.  It is even harder to beat a free
> download.  IBM needs to charge significant dollars for the OS to make back
> on their investment - otherwise they will just dump it as any investor
> would.  IBM can only lower the price so far - Miscrosoft ain't giving away
> their OS for free and IBM isn't about to, either.
>
> So if competitive means 'similarly priced' then IBM can't match a well put
> together linux system running on the Intel platform.  Interesting how
> IBM's new eSeries line fits into this.  By making linux run on every one
> of their machines IBM guarantees that they *will* be able to compete at
> every hardware price level.
>
> But people don't (so the saying goes) by hardware platforms and operating
> systems, they buy applications.  If there were an RPG compiler for linux
> then our applications would also run at every hardware price level, thanks
> to IBM.  I don't want to sell people an iSeries, I want to sell them my
> application.  Of course, since my application is written in RPG then an
> iSeries is a prerequisite, but it need not be.
>
> Besides, I would love to see my apps run on some really big iron from Sun
> - I can see it now, "Tired of running climate simulations?  How about some
> heads-down data entry!" :^)
>
> James Rich
> james@eaerich.com
>