Re: Say Hello to IBM System i5!

[Keith Carpenter <carpcon@xxxxxxx>]

Trevor Perry wrote:

> Keith, I am not a vendor. I used to work for a vendor, and I now do 
> occasional refacing/repurposing consulting assignments. 

Helps to know why you are big on these tools.


> I never said a refacing tool makes modal ok. I do think that most ERP 
> processes are modal. For example, you must determine the customer, then 
> credit check them, then look for product, then allocate product, then 
> confirm shipping, then process the order. A good ERP will let you revisit 
> each of these steps, but the process is primarily modal. Web applications 
> tend to be much lighter than that, and the lack of modal can cause problems 
> in the middle of the process.

The business processes you refer to are not the interface issues I was
referring to.  Take the modality of the typical green screen Order Entry
program for example.  It is a factor when you want a better UI.  Users
can recognize the difference.  Either the app has to be changed or you
need a transformation tool that will likely add overhead compensating
for the underlying limitations (compositing or sequencing multiple
screens in the background).


> Aha! And how do I open the minds of people who still call the System i5 an 
> AS/400? How do we open the minds of people who call i5/OS an AS/400? How do 
> we open the minds of green screen developers to move forward? 

Well, I wouldn't get hung up on the name for starters and I wouldn't see
the developer as the problem.  Most developers want new technology, it's
 management that decides when it's worth it.