The article referenced below illustrates how IBM is continuing to support
their iSeries (formerly called the AS/400) and is regularly upgrading the
OS to newer chips, including the top of the line chip.  The article refers
to HP and the 3000 in less than flattering terms (which HP has earned over
the last 8 months).

If the "new" HP wants to compete with IBM they need to take a page (and
probably the whole book) from IBM and learn how to *market* a product line
and support their loyal customers on a long term basis, such as IBM has
with the iSeries.  If, and when, iSeries customers want to switch to a UNIX
platform, IBM will be there for them and they will not have to look to an
HP or SUN or "migrate" to new platforms.  Interestingly, the iSeries can
run in partitions on the same box with OS/400, AIX and Linux co-existing
(having your cake and eating it too).  I call this the "hold'em and
mold'em" market strategy.

The HP approach on the other hand, is to abandon a legitimate market
(leaving it to IBM), destroying their best product and alienating their
most loyal customers -- actually chasing them away.  (I call this
strategy "just plain dumb".)  HP does not seem to realize or care that
there is a real market segment out there that does NOT want or accept
UNIX/Windows as a forced computing platform solution.  Furthermore,
customers will prefer stable vendors with long range vision and broad
product lines that are well marketed over poorly managed vendors offering
unstable product lines with unpredictable futures.

The above is an interesting display of two completely different market
strategies that go in opposite directions with, naturally, opposite
results.  While HP has a product line (PA-RISC, not to mention IA-64) that
could be partitioned the way the iSeries has done, they choose not to do so
and actually build an artificial "chinese wall" between MPE and HP-UX
platforms.

The article is worth a read.

http://news.com.com/2100-1001-894371.html?
legacy=cnet&tag=pt.msnbc.feed..ne_9805994

(Mind the URL wrap)

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