/rant on

If we are wondering (as we often do) about the why's and wherefore's of the
continued existence of the HP3000 as a viable business server, we need to
take a long, hard look at some of the software vendors that "support" the
HP3000.

Some of you may recall how I lost the good fight to keep our accounting
system on the HP3000 (lost out to Solomon on an NT server), due in large
part to the non-response of some vendors.  I am now involved in a similar
struggle for another system.  There appears to be one vendor who makes a
package that runs on the HP3000 (the package type and vendor shall remain
nameless).  We are also looking at a package that runs on the NT server.
The vendor for the NT server came out and did a demo for us.  The vendor for
the HP3000 system doesn't even offer such a service.  Why?

Is it because the other vendor is bigger?  It doesn't appear to be so, they
both have about the same size installed base.  It really seems to be that
the HP3000 vendor is saying, "Here it is, take it or leave it" and not
making any effort to "sell" the package.

If we (collectively) are to save the HP3000 from the scrapheap of history,
we (collectively, again) had better wake these vendors up.  It doesn't
matter how good the box is, if there is no software, the box will die.

Just my US$.02 worth.

/rant off

We now return you to you regularly scheduled email.....


Jim Phillips                            Manager of Information Systems
E-Mail: [log in to unmask]     Therm-O-Link, Inc.
Phone: (330) 527-2124                   P. O. Box 285
  Fax: (330) 527-2123                   Garrettsville, Ohio  44231