I have been reading with great interest the threads regarding how to get
HP's Upper Management to better market/recognize the HPe3000 and finally
decided to throw my $.02 in on the subject.  Remember, you get what you
pay for :).

  What is the purpose/goal of the ad?  If the goal is to convince
HP that the HPe3000 is a viable platform for many arenas, then I don't
think that trying to embarrass them will have the desired
effect.  Ultimately we
need to work with them.  I think that the ad is important to show HP that the
community is committed to the HPe3000, but I think that what we do afterwards
might be more important.  If the ad contains a URL, then that web page must
make a convincing argument why the reader should consider the HPe3000.

If the ad cannot run by HP World or if the decision is made to wait to see
what HP
does, I still think the money should still be collected.  While I like what
I am hearing
from Winston Prather and Colleen Mueller, past experience says that we cannot
fully expect HP to come through with any commitments they may have made to
them.

As someone else (I don't remember who) pointed out, maybe we can work
with CSY to run other ads in the future.  Also, maybe we can work
with/through CSY to get some better/more visible web pages on the HP site.

Speaking of web pages, does anyone else find HP's site lacking?  I find
navigation confusing and finding information difficult.  And I know what I
am looking for.  Imagine how it must be for newcomers.  Maybe we can work
with CSY to improve the situation.  There are many good sites with
information about the HPe3000.  Maybe there can be better synergy between
CSY and these sites to better link/integrate HP and these sites.  By the
way, just
checked, and www.hpe3000.com, www.hp3000.com and www.hp9000.com are all
already claimed.  At least they are in use by people supporting HP.

There has been some talk about the perceived lack of applications for
the HPe3000.  Once again there are sites that list many vendors and their
applications, but not much in the way in linkage between these sites and
the HP site.  I also wonder how many of these sites are using an HPe3000 as the
web server.

Also, something needs to be done to make the entry into the HPe3000
application market by small developers easier/cheaper.  If I come up with
an idea
for the next killer app or have an app I want to port to the HPe3000, I
have a dilemma.  For a couple thousand dollars I can buy a cheap PC and put
Linux on it and build/port my app there.  A 918 with MPE, Image, COBOL and
a 8 user
license will cost me about 10K.

<rant>
I also would like HP to develop a portable HPe3000.  Not a laptop, but
a machine about a third the size of a 918.  Something that I could carry
on to a plane and hook my laptop up to as a console and terminal at a
potential client site and do a demo.  Just my personal pipe dream.
</rant>

Kevin Joseph
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