OpenMPE Support Group wrote:
> This has been the primary weakness of OpenMPE and resulted in an
> almost complete collapse of the momentum the community had 2 years
> ago.
>

IMHO, the weakness of OpenMPE or any other effort for that matter is timing.
HP has a few market opportunities that must pass before this effort can
proceed.  The first was the end of sales of the 3K.  HP systems had strong
sales in the quarter that included the end of sales of the 3000.  People
were upgrading and buying time.  From then until end of support, there is be
an opportunity for migration sales to UX and NT.  HP has no reason to
provide a competing solution during this period either.  However, if there
is a "large" enough base of homesteaders and HP doesn't extend any support,
that will be the opportune time for OpenMPE.  If there are mission critical
systems still out there and the only reason those systems remain unsupported
is HP arbitrarily stopping them, then HP will have appeared to go back on
their ongoing statement that they want to think of the customer needs first.
But for now, it does not make any economic sense for HP to support a program
that competes directly with their other products.

Anyone still running 3000s after end of support will be taking on some risk.
I have great confidence in the 3rd party people out there but one should and
must plan for some alternative.  But I personally believe once HP has
squeezed out whatever they can out of this opportunity, they will not leave
the remainder in the lurch.  Hell, even Microsoft is keeping Windows 98 for
a few more years past its end of life...  But HP can't tip their hand
because they feel it may cost them some system sales.  (Yes, I know that
those sales may be going to Dell and IBM but I don't think HP is thinking
that way.)

> The decision to no longer pursue non-profit status is one example that
> should have been posted to the home page of the web site and on the
> list. Instead it was buried in a board minutes post that took 4
> months to reach the web site.

I think the non-profit status was an emotional choice.  Just because an
organization is non-profit does not mean it can't make money.  Blue-Cross
and Blue Shield of Michigan are a non-profit organizations
(http://www.bcbsm.com/)   And just because you're a for-profit organization
doesn't mean you make money, K-Mart comes to mind locally.  There are
for-profit organizations that would have met the needs of OpenMPE.  I
believe Wirt mentioned the co-op model and that may very well be what
OpenMPE ends up using if it continues.  Like a credit union, the members are
the owners and have a lot of say in how resources are used.

I know the waiting is frustrating but HP is going to wait out the market
opportunities.  It has yet to be determined if they will gain more than they
lose.  Only the future can tell...

Mark W.