----------
From:  Chris Bartram[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Sent:  Tuesday, May 06, 1997 1:19 PM
To:  [log in to unmask]
Subject:  [HP3000-L] Re[2]: Portable HP-UX and NT!  Why not MPE?
<snip>
>Take a 918. Change the user-license limit to 1+console. Maybe change the
>system name to a 908. Load it up with MPE/iX 5.5, Image/SQL, COBOL, C (or
>even the GNU compiler stuff), 1.something gig disc, 40-something Mb memory,
>a Dat, and sell the bundle for about $7-8k. Throw out a message to the
>HP3000-L (see - don't even need to budget for marketing it! The people on
>this list would pass the word around better/faster than any ads would
>anyway!) :-)
>
> -Chris Bartram

I admit I'd like a truly portable 3000, but what I REALLY want is a something like
my current 918 with a smaller user license (I say 2-3 because testing sometimes
requires multiple users besides the console), with all of the developers tools (editors,
compilers, debuggers, SPT, etc.), all of the performance tools (glancexl, etc),
databases (both Image/SQL and Allbase/SQL) for a price equivalent to the
packages available for the HP-UX line (< $10K in some cases).  This gets
you started, but as Harry Sterling mentioned at IPROF, SUPPORT comes from
a different cost center, so they too need to price out a developer hardware/software
program that recognizes the small developer who would by this system can't
spend the price of the system each year for support!  I'd think something along
the lines of $1K to $2K per year.

<Editorial Soapbox>

  If I understood Harry correctly, once you've bought your system, unless you
purchase some upgrades or extras, CSY will not earn a penny more from you
regardless how much support you buy.  Given that, what incentive does both
groups have (CSY and SUPPORT) to provide a low priced system that may
in fact not even turn a profit for either group?  In most companies, this would
be a cost attributed to "marketing" since if this group of small developers
succeed, other companies would then be purchasing the larger systems in
order to run the fruits of their labor.  It appears that at HP, no group is going
to underwrite another even if in the end everyone wins.

</Editorial Soapbox>

Regards,
Michael L Gueterman
Easy Does It Technologies
email: [log in to unmask]
http://www.editcorp.com
voice: (888) 858-EDIT -or- (509) 943-5108
fax:   (509) 946-1170