RE: Saving the System i: Fight Rather Than Switch -- MIDRANGE-L

I tried posting this a while ago and for some reason didn't post.
I realize some of these topics have been covered a lot.
Anyway...

  Here's my two cents.  While I agree the iSeries and OS/400 are a 
great operating system, the fact is that Windows has made improvements 
and are getting more reliable and more scalable.  That's not to say 
that it is in the same ballpark as OS/400, but rather what use to be a 
glaring fact for the purchase of an iSeries and it's costs are now a 
dimmer point.
  I think most budget as created with a one year out look not five 
anymore. How's that saying go, "Rich people plan for the next 
generation, poor folks plan for Saturday night...".  This arguement is 
not against the OS, scheduling software, development tools, etc that 
you get with the machine.  They are the parts that set it apart.  It's 
the hardware that is killing it.

  There are a few things that I think IBM needs to change :

   1. Get real with he price of disk.  They don't even make their own 
drives anymore.  The argument that it is so much more reliable than PC 
server drives is just ridiculous.  I'm not comparing the reliablity of 
iSeries disk to the Western Digital 200GB drive you buy at Best Buy 
(and get a free Shania Twain CD) but rather EMC tier one fiber drives 
or even teir one IBM drives in a DS6000/DS8000.  I'm looking back at a 
quote we got for a DS6000 sometime last year.  An eight pack of 2gb 
73GB 15K drives is $4335 or $541.88 (I rounded up the cents) a drive.  
The DS6000/DS8000 is their enterprise class SAN connected to everthing 
(read Mainframe, imply Mainframe Class storage). A refurb one is about 
a $1000.

   2.  Memory.  They might be a slight argument that the chips are 
superior to server memory but with the move in iSeries to PCI 
technology and other 'OpenSystems' parts, I doubt it's as great as the 
price difference.  If you going to charge exorbanent prices for the 
memory, at least make it upgradable a machine version.  I'm sure there 
have been some memory that's been usable between two versions of the 
machine but it's more the exception (at least from what I've read. I 
could be wrong).  Looked at newegg.com for the most expensive server 
memory I could find. $700 for a 4GB chip.  Just paid a little over 
$1500 for refurbed 3096 2 GB stick.

   3.  The biggest - the processor.  I'm not going as far as Steve to 
say that every processor should run all out.  I would rather suggest 
a 'compromise'.  We are in the process of getting a new mainframe 
(first new one in 15 years).  It's a small BC (Business Class) box.  
When you look at the configurations, you really get shipped 4 
processors and they turn on how much capacity you need.  Sound 
familiar.  The other options are to turn on other processors as FULL 
engines to run things like Java, Linux, and DB2.  That doesn't go 
against the z/OS licensing or any of your third party products.  If 
your need two processors to run you RPG/ILE code and DB2/400, fine but 
let me run the Webshpere, Domino, or HTTP processes on the other FULL, 
not OS/400 charge processors.
    I realize that sounds like a difficult task, and probably is, but 
the way the got CFINIT sitting there ready to pounce you'd think these 
types of things are possible.  

Ya know, that made me thing of another angle they might want to look 
at.  Interactive process 'tax' vs. subcapacity pricing.  You buy a box 
with a  certain CPW value.  You have the option up front to say, "I 
need 5250 and a lot of it"...$$$$, but you also might want to say "I 
might only use 2% of the processor for 5250, if I go over then charge 
me for it".  On the Mainframe that pricing exists.  I realize it might 
be a nightmare for some in the budgeting area, but does add 
flexibility.  You can migrate an application to the iSeries using a 
green screen (read move something from Mainframe to iSeries) and then 
work to get it to a web/graphical interface.  Your not overpaying 
for "The Tax".

The hardware grip is the biggest thing I got with this machine...

m.