Dear listers:

        I am a non-technical operations manager who has inherited an
HP3000
        shop by acquisition, and have recently subscribed to this list
to
        ask for your help.

        Part of my responsibility is to evaluate the future of the
HP3000 in
        terms of its viability, scalability within our larger operation,
and
        commitment of HP to this platform.

        Naturally, the current staff favors the HP3000, and is
championing
        it; part of their argument revolves around the potential of the
        HP3000 to eventually support 64-bit processing. My search of
HP's
        website turned up lots of info on 64-bit processing in their
HP9000
        line, but nothing about the HP3000.

        My questions:

        1.) assuming HP will eventually provide this technology in the
        HP3000, will the benefits be the same, greater, or less than on
the
        9000?

        2.) what will be the impact on third party software providers? I
        assume some changes would need to be made to the programs in
order
        to benefit from 64-bit computing.  Is this a large or minimal
        effort on their part? (I would expect that, if it were a major
        investment, those providers might balk at making the investment,
        unless they thought there was a significant market potential.)

        3.) which brings up the next question: are the benefits of
64-bit
        computing likely to be applicable to just large shops, or will
        smaller operations see enough benefit to warrant paying to
upgrade
        their machines and application software?

        4.) any other comments or observations would be most helpful.

     TIA, and please excuse the waste of bandwidth if this discussion
has already taken place in the past.