>Stan Sieler said:
>The right answer is:
> <snip>
>If the drivers aren't shared (sorry, I can't comment on what I do/don't know
>about this), then they *should* be shared, preferably in a manner that
>allows future HP-UX driver work for possible future machines to be
>immediately used by MPE/iX.  Having two groups developing drivers for the
>same hardware is, well, a waste of very valuable resources.
>
 
I haven't given attention to this issue in the past (3 years now?), but yes,
this would be step number 1 in any kind of OS code "sharing".  While at it,
map the DCE core services in there (w/kerberos single sign on) and top it
off with DFS.
 
It isn't all sunshine on the UX side of the house, either.  Where did I get
such "radical" ideas anyway?  Go check what IBM is doing with the DCE on
AIX.  They are strong competition for UX along with Sun Solaris.
 
May be I just answered my own question why UX is in the HP fast lane - could
it be competition?  Could the 3k benefit from some competition, also?  Is
the 3k that much of a cash cow it isn't to be messed with?  Is there room on
HP's list for two "open" systems?  Mmmm.  Those dang marketing questions
keep coming back like a bad dream.
 
Stan's hardware example is the tip of the iceberg, no doubt.  I bet inbound
Telnet is meeting the same fate, i.e., it is no doubt the one of the next
critical pieces in blowing the 3k open (Jeff says it is so close he can
taste it).
 
Well, I don't know about Jeff's good taste, but inbound Telnet must be
leaving a really bad taste in CSY's proprietary mouth.  Stan, you mentioned
with Gavin that inbound telnet is all that is needed to support X
windows/motif simply by copying UX binaries over to the 3k?  I wonder how
many other "holes" Telnet has/will open up on the 3k?  Will they be plugged
or exploited?
 
Mmmm.
 
>A used 925/920/922/930/935/945 isn't the answer ... the cost of memory
>is far too high, since you are limited to used HP memory.  This simply
>underscores the importance of putting MPE on 700 hardware ... where the
>peripherals are cheap (for a personal development system, I'll gladly
>use a 4GB SCSI disk drive for $850),
 
Wow, that's half price than our $400 a gig for AFS servers here!  What is
the going price of 3k SCSI disk?
 
>and memory is available from HP at
>a reasonable price (*because* other vendors of it exist!).
>
 
Free market prices are considerable less expensive.  Alas, I hope the 3k
isn't holding out for the last of the proprietary/lock-in dinosaurs.  I'm
not encouraged.