First, Winston Prather's presentation:
I agree with what others have said regarding his presentation and would
like to quote some of his numbers. From HP survey regarding what HPe3000
customers are planning to do in the next 1-5 years:
3% retire the box (retire? what about the applications? not addressed)
20% replace (with what? also not addressed)
16% keep [aka homestead] (Interex survey says 23%, conference attendees
consensus is 25% is more accurate; Interex Europe says 60% homesteading)

61% migrate/rewrite
Of those migrating:
12% in 1 year
35% 1-2 years
40% 2-5 years
12% > 5 years
Summed up as 80-90% within 2-5 years (remember, of those stated they
will be migrating, the statement in context seemed to imply 80-90% of
the entire HP3000 community, not just those planning to migrate).
Mr. Prather received the same amount, duration and decibel level of
applause as the first person to speak regarding general conference
information, etc. and introducing Mr. Prather. No more, no less; in
essence polite, professional applause (certainly not enthusiastic). He
seemed to disappear from the conference quickly after his 15 minutes and
hasn't been seen since, at least not by these eyes and I've been
looking. Dave Wilde, however, has been around, quietly monitoring
sessions, attendance and comments.

The folks at Interex are to be commended. Excellent conference, good
presentations, knowledgable speakers, great location (a bit on the cool
weather side, but they don't have anything to do with that). I for one
am glad I renewed membership, I certainly feel I'm getting my monies'
worth - paid personally. I cannot speak to the migration sessions as I'm
not attending those - I'm not migrating.

Okay, and now for today's lunch time bombshell. Forget about the
platitudes of "eroding ecosystem" and other buzz words du jour. The
reason why the HP3000 line is being dropped: word came down from
corporate (read: heads higher than Winston's) that if a product was not
growing 15% a year, they didn't want it. That's why you saw the
calculator division bite the dust. That's the REAL reason the HP3000 is
being EOL'd (or as I have suggested to the HP people say HP-EOL or
HP-EOS [HP End Of Life and HP End Of Support, respectively]). Those at
the lunch table this afternoon know the source of this information which
I will not reveal here (I don't have the individual's permission). As
another individual said, so much is "off the record" - (yes, I know his
name, but again, no permission to quote). If you wish to know the
parties present contact me directly.

If only the community had been told from the start the real reason
instead of platitudes and buzz words, I firmly believe we'd all have
taken the November 14 announcement "reasons given" as credible. Instead
we instinctively knew we were not getting "the straight dope." As has
been demonstrated many times on this list, this is one very intelligent
community (present company gracefully self excluding, please) - and
slighting that fact and presenting reasons that simply do not ring true
has contributed greatly to the continuing rancor some parties harbor
towards HP in this decision. As politicians seem to never learn, it's
not the deed but the cover-up that brings you down.

This writer certainly agrees with those that have said the time has come
for a definitive statement from Mr. Prather, as he has said he alone
made the decision to HP-EOL the HP3000. Now, NOW, once and for all,
state PUBLICLY, that HP-CSY will work to transition MPE/iX to some
entity in the future so that those of us in the community that have no
intention whatsoever to migrate to another platform for whatever reason
can continue with our regular business plans, budgets and lives without
the cloud of indecision hanging over us and our futures (company and
personal). What entity, how it will work, who stays, who goes, what it
will cost, blah, blah, blah do not need to be decided right now. A
definitive statement, however, IS needed right now. The installed base -
both those planning migration efforts and those planning on
"homesteading" deserve nothing less, and at this time demand nothing
more.

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