Re: Promoting IBM i

[Jim Oberholtzer <midrangel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Actually, it has stopped IBM from shipping quite a bit with the system, 
although most employees would like to stop shipping all the printed 
license agreements, terms and conditions etc, because that is really 
expensive.  A DVD maybe?  IBM legal keeps insisting on the paper.  If 
you look at what comes with the system now, versus what was shipped as 
few as 3 years ago, there is a big difference.

The ESD strap, yea, everyone laughs at that, right up until you blow up 
the backplane putting in a  card when you have not grounded yourself 
first.  I've seen it happen, and watched experienced CEs do it.  $5000 
to replace a backplane vs. $1.50 for a strap, even if it is only a 
reminder to use a real one, I'll take that trade any day.

Jim Oberholtzer
Chief Technical Architect
Agile Technology Architects


On 12/15/2012 7:44 PM, Jerry C. Adams wrote:
> Jim,
>
> I accede to everything you said except the part about it being too expensive
> for IBM to stock and insert them.  Aren't these the same folks that send me
> a wrist band (packaged separately with a packing list in a box big enough to
> hold the Lord of The Rings trilogy) with just about everything (software and
> hardware) that I order?  You are correct, of course, that it is too
> expensive - just hasn't stopped them yet.
>
> Jerry C. Adams
> IBM i Programmer/Analyst
> "All women are neurotic; all men are assholes"  -Kurt Vonnegut
> -- A&K Wholesale Home Office: 615-832-2730 email: midrange@xxxxxxxx 
> -----Original Message----- From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx 
> [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jim Oberholtzer 
> Sent: Friday, December 14, 2012 7:31 AM To: Midrange Systems Technical 
> Discussion Subject: Re: Promoting IBM i Very reasonable idea. Until 
> you realize that 98% of folks that unpackage and install the systems; 
> A) never look at any of the documentation sent with the system, and B) 
> those folks are rarely the end user, mostly they are the business 
> partner or other outside consultancy that has been hired to install 
> the system. Unfortunately we have learned this lesson with COMMON, 
> other users groups and a number of software vendors that have tried 
> that technique. It's also expensive for IBM to stock and insert them 
> into the packaging. I'd rather IBM spent that money on more productive 
> things. I do agree with the sentiment expressed, logistics not 
> withstanding. Jim Oberholtzer Chief Technical Architect Agile 
> Technology Architects On 12/14/2012 6:57 AM, Jack Kingsley wrote:
> > >  Why don't they ship some of these out with new system sales.
> > >
> > >  On Fri, Dec 14, 2012 at 7:53 AM, Gerald Kern<jp2558@xxxxxxxxx>   wrote:
> > >
> > > > >>  >    Trevor - I'll take one (or two if they are good for vehicle rear
> windows).
> > > > >>  >
> > > > >>  >    --
> > > > >>  >    Thanks, Jerry
> > > > >>  >
> > > > >>  >    Gerald Kern - Information Technology  Programming Supervisor  IBM
> > > > >>  >  Certified RPG IV Developer  Lotus Notes/Domino Administrator  The
> > > > >>  >  Toledo Clinic, Inc.
> > > > >>  >    4235 Secor Road
> > > > >>  >    Toledo, OH 43623
> > > > >>  >    Phone 419-479-5535
> > > > >>  >    --
> --