RE: Green screen to GUI -- MIDRANGE-L

The argument reminds me of VHS vs, Beta Max.  Of course the lesson there is
that both are now dead.  

The follow on question becomes "OK, what follows GUI?" 
 
---------------------------------
Booth Martin
http://www.martinvt.com
---------------------------------
-------Original Message-------
 
From: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Date: 09/21/05 09:45:48
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: RE: Green screen to GUI
 
Hi Jeff,
 
  I have felt the same for a long time.  It is
annoying/embarrassing/exasperating to be talking to someone outside the
company about a project,  explaining that we are running on the
As/400-iSeries-i5, only to be met with the 'Oh, that's one of those old
legacy machines isn't it?' or something similar.  There is nothing I can
say.  I've tried all the possibilities - 'Dear, the AS/400 was a 64 bit
powerhouse while Windows was only...' and so forth.  Anything I say has no
effect - for the most part - they don't have the knowledge or experience to
comprehend.  The only thing that would make a dent in their smug dismissal
would be a true graphical interface and the tools to make easy use of it.
 
  We had better admit it - we live in a graphical world.  All the
integration/stability/security in the world will not win over the
uneducated/inexperienced, but one simple graphical interface can start the
process. (a picture is worth more than a thousand words)
 
  I have been an c/rpg programmer since 1988 - mostly rpg.  I use
subprocedures and ILE and make use of the various API's available when
needed.  I have taken classes and read about java - we even use it
extensively in xml processing.  But I have just spent the previous week or
so blundering through trying to get a web service to run on WAS Express 5.0.
I finally succeeded,  but my point is the Microsoft guys I have worked with
would jeeringly state - 'I could have had that done in two hours on a
microsoft platform with microsoft tools.'  AND THEY ARE RIGHT!  I've seen
it. DAMMIT!
 
  I don't know what the answer is - I was interviewing a guy the other day -
bright guy - late 20's with a masters degree in cs - a real hot dog.  He
asked what kind of server we ran and I replied with the 'IBM iSeries'
string.  He replied yeah, but what does it run, Windows 2003 server?  He had
no idea what I was talking about.
 
  I don't know where I am going with this - I guess I'm just blowing off
steam.  But I am getting tired of everybody else (non-iSeries) blowing
through projects that I have to sweat blood to perform.  I need some tools
that are on a par with Micro$oft's.  I need wizards that ACTUALLY WORK!
Everything has to be ARCANE!  Even the simplest things have some little part
of it obfuscated in the manuals that make it a major effort to implement.
 
  Oh well, like Jeff said - Back to work...
 
Regards and apologies for ranting
 
Rick DuVall
Systems Manager
Dealer's Auto Auction of Okc
405 947-2886 Ext:143
rick@xxxxxxxxxx