A serious question folks, and this is in regard to a rumor that I heard of
a pronouncement made by HP that MPE/?? and the HP3000 will be discontinued
about the year 2007:

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What would happen if HP "opened" up MPE/?? and let go their copyrights much
like Unix has been over the last 25 or so years?

(I asked a similar question at SCRUG during a roundtable back in 1989 if
anyone remembers.)

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Would this venerable OS "take-off" in the business and manufacturing
community like Unix did in the educational and enginerring communities?
 (Typo intentional.)

If this idea should "extend" the life of MPE/?? would it become as popular
as Unix or NT among users?

Or would the user community become (or remain) esoteric like Mac users?

Or would this OS "die a natural death" instead of being propped up by HP?

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Would there be "new development" on the software side by developers who are
currently loathe to purchase all the licensing necessary to program on an
MPE box?

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Would there be competing versions of MPE/?? such as there is on Unix?  For
example, Xenix/Lynux/Berkeley/System V?

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This could be an interesting thread, will it last longer than my "Power
LAN!"?