I almost wonder if we are blaming HP a little to much?  There
probably are a fair amount of MPE shops that are not even scratching the
surface of the new "open" features that HP (and others) has made available
on the platform.  I think the reason may be more subtle, hear me out:

        My "other job" involves being Director of Technology for a major
company.  This responsibility has me overseeing and working with the
Engineers responsible for Microsoft, Novell, and Cisco equipment (to name a
few).  It is a defacto way of life for these Engineers to have an ongoing
formal development of their education.  They are constantly studying books
and magazines, attending classes or seminars, and taking certification or
re-certification tests.  Because of the evolution of the software and
hardware in these products, it is the standard belief that if you are not
moving forward with your formal knowledge of them, then you are falling
behind.  I don't believe this is the norm in most MPE shops today despite
the fact that the HP e3000 hardware, MPE/iX operating system, and 3rd party
utilities have (and do) continue to evolve.  I know that formal training in
our arena has been sourly lacking over the years.  I've been using the "box"
for over 18 years myself.

***  Plug alert (sorta) ***

        That is one of the main reasons I started forming the Tech Group
University several years ago in my mind and starting bringing it to life a
few months ago.  I wanted to create a single strong focal point for MPE
related training, certification, and educational material.  We have to bring
our young talent up to speed with all the new features and abilities already
on the table in front of us.  Once we as a group fully utilize the platform,
HP will recognize our vitality, and they will be forced to run ahead of us
with new enhancements.

Just my two cents worth...

Thanx,
  Jonathan (Jon) M. Backus ~ President
  Tech Group University ~ 15 Catawba Place ~ Hagerstown, MD ~ 21742-6515
  Email: [log in to unmask] ~ AIM: JMBackus
  Vmail: 301.714.1854 ~ Fmail: 301.714.1854
  Web: www.TechGroupMD.com

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 2 Oct 2000 13:38:11 -0500
From:    Cortlandt Wilson <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: The future of the 3000

Glenn Koster wrote:
> So, maybe we still need to call HP on the carpet about their
marketing efforts (and the
visibility) of the 3000... but we better be very careful. <

Glenn,

I want to be clear.   I am not dinging HP for not making a big HP
e3000 marketing push.   I'm calling them on the carpet for their
silence when a mere acknowledgement would have been appropriate and
free.

P.S.  HP's silence from the top about the HP e3000 reminds me of the
old days when the bastard children were never mentioned in polite
company.