Ron Seybold wrote:
>
> Kevin Newman wrote:
>
> >     Oh I love it!  Some news starved reporter is given a deadline, so
> >     he/she lurks the lists trying to find some story-line!
>
> That comment flies in the face of how newspaper reporting works. It's
> something I know a little about after working in the news business for 16
> years. Here on the Internet, anybody can post anything, true or not.
> Because there's precious little liability established here yet, anything
> goes. When you put ink on paper, it's a different story. Don't confuse the
> cowboy tactics of publishing on the Internet with print reporting.
>
> It seems like Nigel Campbell of Cognos has suggested the same thing: that
> reporters are "stealing" quotes from the Internet to dream up news stories.
> Both of these fellows have disclaimers after their messages that "protect"
> them from such "thefts."
>
> Any good reporter will check with a source before using something in a
> story that's been taken from the net. And if you scan this newsgroup's
> postings over the last six months, you won't find anything remotely
> resembling the quotes from Jeff Kell and Tony Furnivall that appeared in
> the ComputerWorld article. As for Bard White from Spaulding (the other
> quoted source), he doesn't even post to this list. It appears the
> ComputerWorld reporter actually called his sources and interviewed them. He
> certainly called me. But I'm sure that Jeff and Tony can speak up if they
> feel they were quoted inaccurately or out of context.
>
> What's more troubling is the suggestion that this issue of Computerworld is
> making something out of nothing. Kevin asks:
>
> >Am I missing something here? I just love watching the press make such
> >large issues over passing comments.
>
> Yes, you are missing something. It's the struggle going on between HP's
> business practices and its customers' loyalty to this product. After all
> the examination, the only concrete reason HP seems to give for not pushing
> the HP 3000 to anyone other than its installed base is: "It's not what
> people are asking for, and we sell something else they ARE asking for."
>
> Who's responsible for generating demand for a product, anyway? It's the
> product's manufacturer. If that demand isn't created, how long before a
> product loses favor within the organization that makes it? Ever wonder why
> HP now admits it makes "our investment decisions very differently for the
> Unix side and the 3000," according to Harry Sterling? It has a lot to do
> with that customer demand. The people behind Proposition 3000 are working
> to change that.
>
> >I'll be okay in a few minutes .... when I stop laughing so much.
>
> It's not as funny to the computer professionals reading this newsgroup when
> they see their careers being altered by HP business decisions. The most
> common sentiment I read here is "I love the 3000, but our company is going
> to another platform." Readers that are comfortable with mothballing 15
> years of expertise to follow HP business strategy can laugh. Others are
> trying to do something to make HP realize how they feel about this issue.
>
> What's most ironic is to watch this business behavior and see those that
> are laughing thinking it will be different next time. We once thought that
> 60,000 installed business servers was too big a market to fret over. Now
> the Unix installed base feels comfortable with a number 100 times bigger.
> Who's to say several million machines is too big a market to mothball in a
> few years when something "more popular" comes along? Last time I checked
> the Apple installed base was in the millions, and that number doesn't keep
> several listers here from predicting its demise.
>
> Once you start to support the "everybody's using it" theory of system
> selection, you better hope your suppliers sell like hell. If they slow, or
> don't keep pace with the flavor of the month, you'll be putting them on
> notice -- or mothballing the experience it took you years to build. It's
> your choice.
>
> Ron Seybold, Editor In Chief
> The 3000 News/Wire
> Independent Information to Maximize Your HP3000
> [log in to unmask]
> 512-331-0075I like your opinion of this and have read the computer world
article in question.
 
Basically I think that HP is pushing Unix as the platform of choice only
because of the
perception of 'open' systems.  MPE will continue to lose customers as
developers convert to
'open' systems.  My former employer, an applications developer, Smith, Dennis &
Gaylord tried to
convert from MPE to Unix, and now PC platforms.  Other players like Pivot Point
started in the
HP3000 world are now ported to Unix and are not supporting MPE.
 
So the bottom line, I believe, is the HP3000 is a nich market that will
continue to shrink until
HP decides to aggressively promote it.
 
 
Eric Crutchlow
 
"My opinions are my own, quote at your own risk, etc., etc..."